Intertwined Souls
by Rose Lillian Marshall 2
Summary: Selûne grew up with Itachi and Sasuke after the deaths of her family by the hand of her sister Mayu. Unfortunately for her, it's one dilemma after another; near deaths, joining the Akatsuki, Sasuke's defection...but she had never expected to fall in love with both Uchiha brothers and with her own life in peril, she must choose who she truly loves or fall to her own dark destiny.
1. Selûne Amakura

_I had just come back from a successful mission in the Land of Waves and I couldn't wait to see my little brother Nobutoshi. It had been almost a week since I had been away from home. _

_"Se-chan!" Oh boy. Here comes Naruto. I had to admit while the blonde boy was a bit annoying, it was also endearing at the same time. "You're finally back! Can we go out for some ramen later!?"_

_I had to laugh. All this boy thought about was ramen, ramen, ramen. "Sure Naruto, but first I want to spend some time with my brother, okay?"_

_A pout appeared on Naruto's face. "Oh fine...but don't forget about me! So...ramen at 7?" I nodded my head, smiling at him. _

_"YEAHHH!" Naruto pumped his fists in the air. "Ramen. Ramen. Ramen."_

_"Alright Naruto, I'll see you later," I said, making my way home. Hopefully I won't get stopped more on the way._

_"Hey Se-chan!" So much for wishing. Sakura Haruno and my personal best friend Kikuko Inuzuka, older sister to Kiba Inuzuka. _

_"Hey guys what's up?" I asked, waving slightly. Sakura blushed. "Did you hear? Sasuke's in my class at the Academy! Ahhhhh he's so cute!" Sakura squealed loudly. _

_"Yeah and Kiba's in her class as well. Woohoo." Ah Kikuko, sarcastic as ever. I forced a smile, feeling a vein pop in my head._

_"Okay guys, I really need to get home. Nobutoshi's waiting for me." Both girls nodded and I now ran home, hoping to Kami to not get stopped again. My wish was granted. I stopped at the entrance to my home, looking up at the medium size house. The Amakura clan symbol, a circle with a wing in the middle symbolizing peace and healing was painted on the wall of the house overlooking the village. It was a proud thing to be part of such a powerful clan of healers. I kicked my sandals off and entered the house._

_"Mother! Father! Ane! Ototo, I'm home!"_

_Usually when I returned, my parents would call out to me and my brother would come running to tackle me. Mayu, my sister usually gives me a big hug. But no one answered. The house was silent._

_'Hmmm...maybe they're all out right now...'_

_I looked in the rooms of the house, but found no one. It was when I walked outside into the garden that there was one place I didn't look. The big prayer house on the other side of the garden. I stopped short, a tremble running through my body. I never dared to enter that building after the accident I had had in there. _

_'They might be in there. Suck it up Selûne!' I walked up to the big double doors, placing my hands on the handles. A feeling of dread washed over me. Something didn't feel right. I gathered as much courage as I could and opened the doors...and gasped._

_There laying on the floor were my parents. My mother was laying on her back while my father was draped over her abdomen, their eyes staring at me lifelessly. _

_'Oh no...' _

_It was then that I saw him. Nobutoshi was slumped against the wall, his body limp and motionless. _

_"Nobutoshi!" I ran over to my beloved little brother and held him in my arms, hoping with everything that he would wake up and hug me back, but he just lay there. "No...no...Nobutoshi!"_

_The tears fell down my cheeks as I wailed, lamenting the death of my family. 'Who could have done this...? Where's Ane?"_

_I looked back at Mother and Father's bodies, the tears clouding my vision. It didn't keep me from seeing the small piece of paper in Mother's hand. I set Nobutoshi back against the wall and crawled over to Mother, looking down at her hand. I tugged the paper out of her hand and opened it up, reading the writing there. What I read shocked me._

_"No...Mayu...ane...she wouldn't do this! Why Mayu!?" I screamed to an empty room, punching the wall and blowing it away. I knew that Mayu was long gone however, her note said so, but I couldn't help but think that maybe she was still here, planning on killing me next! "No...I don't want to die!"_

_I burst out of the house and ran down the street to the Hokage's office, crying the entire time. _

_The rest of the day was a complete blur. The ANBU came and collected the bodies of my family, leaving me all alone in the family house. Many of my friends came and expressed their sadness over the deaths of my family, but I didn't listen to them. I felt...numb. The last person to come was an adorable little boy, Sasuke Uchiha, followed by his older brother Itachi and their parents. The only thing I remembered was their parents telling me to get my things and come with them. I was now going to be living with the Uchihas. Sasuke reminded me so much of Nobutoshi that it helped me to feel better, but not fully. Nobutoshi could never be replaced._

_I thought about how my parents looked when they had died. Their eyes had been glassy, devoid of any life yet there had been no signs of a struggle. There was only one explanation. Mayu had used the clan's secret and most powerful technique on them...the Raifudorein, the Life Drain. Only true heirs of the clan could wield it. My sister and I both had it. Being medical ninja, it would make sense that our jutsu would deal with the body and spirit. Our clan was famous for being able to manipulate spirits and souls of those long gone to do our bidding. Our Kekkei Genkai, the Hira no Seishin or the Healer's Spirit, allowed us to heal ourselves and anyone else of almost any wound and cure almost any disease. _

_I clenched my fist when I thought about it. I didn't want to believe Mayu would do such a thing. She had been such a kind and loving sister and it was nearly impossible to think she could be capable of such cruelty, but now I see. It was all a lie!_

_"Damn you Mayu...damn you to hell. I swear with everything I have, I will kill you! I promise you I will!" I said to myself._


	2. Soul Steal

It was another afternoon in Konoha, another day of training and another day of sitting at the family grave. I twirled the kunai around my finger before catching it in my palm and squeezing it tightly. I opened my eyes to look down at the elegant headstones.

_Maya Amakura. Takao Amakura. Nobutoshi Amakura._

Mother. Father. Nobutoshi…my little eight year old brother who always boasted that he would become Hokage. His dream had been ripped away from him nearly a month ago. By Mayu…my older sister.

My hand clenched hard around the kunai, the sharp edge cutting into my skin and drawing blood. The cut quickly sealed up when I released the knife. I knew that when I became stronger, I would go out and find Mayu in order to kill her.

It's pretty messed up, isn't it? Sisters hating each other and killing each other…you'd think that sisters are supposed to be loving and caring towards each other, but in mine and Mayu's case, oh hell no.

A light breeze caused my light brown hair to blow into my face, obscuring my view of the names of my family. I promised myself that I would not rest until Mayu was dead, wherever she was.

"Selûne!"

Ah, one of my only comforts in this world. Sasuke Uchiha came running through the graveyard, his face literally split apart by the grin he wore. Oh boy, something great must have happened. Nothing could bring a frown to his face.

"I did it! I finally did it! I mastered the fireball jutsu!" Sasuke had thrown himself into my arms, his face buried in my blue shirt. Sasuke was so cute it made my heart bleed. He reminded me of Nobutoshi, who would always go to me whenever something scared him or he had just learned a new jutsu.

"That's great Sasuke! Now let me see your face," I chided as I managed to pry him off so I could see the burns around his mouth. "Oh Sasuke, what have I told you about overdoing it? Your body needs a chance to rest before you wear it out again."

I placed my finger on one burn, seeing Sasuke wince with pain before I channeled my chakra into my fingertip and ran it along the burns, reducing the swelling and healing the wounds.

"There you go, good as new." I said, smiling. Sasuke grinned up at me, all his teeth showing. "Race you home?" I asked.

"You're on!"

* * *

The thunderstorm raged outside as I lay in my bed staring up at the ceiling. It had been a night like this when my family was murdered. I closed my eyes, trying to rid myself of the horrible visions.

_Mother and Father's glassy eyes stared at me lifelessly from the floor. Nobutoshi's body lay crumpled against the wall. There was no blood spilled, nothing. I stumbled over to their bodies, falling to my knees before them._

'_No….'_

_Something caught my eye. A piece of paper was in Mother's hand. I tugged it free and opened it._

_Dear little sister,_

_By the time you're reading this, I'm already long gone. You're probably wondering why this is happening. Our family was weak, dear sister. The only way to acquire true power is to kill for it. If you share my view, join me. If not…well then, you will die along with everyone else. If you wish to kill me, get stronger. You will not be able to defeat me at the level you're at now. Come find me when you are worthy of being a challenge. Til then…_

_Mayu_

_My hand clenched around the note and an anguished scream tore from my throat as I punched the wall, blowing it away. Why?_

I shot up in bed, sweating. The lightning streaked across the sky, frightening me. My door slid open and a small figure ran across my room and into my bed.

"Sasuke…"

His little arms hugged me tightly, his whole body shaking like a leaf. I smiled, holding him tightly.

"Don't worry Sasuke. I'm here."

"Selûne…I don't want to sleep in my room. Can I stay with you?" How could I refuse such a cute little face?

"Alright…come on, get under the covers…" I pulled back the covers so Sasuke could crawl underneath them. I pulled them back over us and Sasuke cuddled up next to me, his thumb in his mouth. I couldn't help but laugh.

"Goodnight Sasuke…"

* * *

Out on the training field, I had my small kitten Sayu tethered to a stump. This was my last chance to perfect my technique, the Soul Steal. What it did was once I looked into an opponent's eyes, my entire being would dissolve and my soul would replace theirs in their body. I could make them do whatever I wanted without any damage to me. The only catch….it was a one time use which took up a massive amount of chakra. To compensate for this, I had three marks tattooed on my face, which I could then use to store chakra in. One on each side of my face and a diamond shape on my forehead (Mayu had been the one to suggest a diamond. She thought it would suit me). I decided whether the opponent lived or died. I could cause little to serious damage to them, or even death.

Lately, I haven't even been able to do it. All I could manage was a few seconds in the other before I was forced out. It required intense concentration, but the deaths of my family repeatedly broke that concentration.

I closed my eyes, building up my chakra, feeling the burning in my eyes…

I opened my eyes slowly, meeting Sayu's yellow eyes. There was a split second where she stiffened, I threw the kunai to free her, and I was suddenly low to the ground.

I looked around to see that my body was now Sayu's, small and sleek. Inwardly, I was cheering! I just had to be able to remain in her body for half an hour and I would have perfected the jutsu.

Maybe I could play a trick on Sasuke and Itachi. This would be good.

I ran to the Uchiha training ground where Itachi and Sasuke were practicing their shuriken jutsu. I remained in the bushes, watching as Itachi jumped into the air and upside down, four kunai in each hand. I sat there in awe as he gracefully flung each kunai at each target, hitting them dead center. Itachi never ceased to amaze me. He was a prodigy alright.

When he hit the ground, I made my move. I slunk between his legs and rubbed my head against his knee.

"Holy-!"

I inwardly snickered as Itachi fell back on his ass, having been thoroughly surprised.

"What the- Sayu? Where did you come from? Did Selûne let you out again?"

It was a known fact that I coddled Sayu. What can I say, that kitty was just so damn cute.

Itachi picked me/Sayu up and looked right into our eyes. His eyebrows furrowed into a frown, then his Sharingan came into view. Oh hell…

Itachi smirked then. "Hello Selûne."

Damn it. I separated myself from Sayu and appeared in front of the Uchiha. When I was no longer in control of Sayu, she began squirming and meowing pitifully. I knew she hadn't warmed up to Itachi yet.

"My kitty," I said, snatching her from Itachi and holding her in a possessive grip, giving him a pouty look. Sasuke ran up and tackled me, knocking me and the cat to the ground.

"No! Run Sayu, run! Ahhh noooo!" Sasuke began tickling me in the ribs, right where I was the most sensitive. To make things worse, Itachi decided to join the fun, getting me on the bottom of my feet.

"NOOOO STOP IT STOP IT STOP IT!" I couldn't breathe, I was laughing so hard. We all collapsed in a fit of giggles, me underneath both Uchihas. Sayu began licking Itachi's nose, causing him to jerk up and me and Sasuke laughed even harder.

"I finally perfected the Soul Steal today," I told him when I had managed to control myself after our little dog pile. "Maybe now when I go on a mission, I can use it on humans instead of animals."

Itachi gave me a nod of approval. "Good, now if we can perfect your cooking…"

"That was one time, ONE time, nii-san! Just because I accidentally put salt instead of sugar doesn't mean that everything I make is icky!"

Itachi held up his hands in mock surrender. "I'm sorry Selûne, just joking."

I pouted before Sasuke jumped up. "Hey Selûne, watch this!"

With two kunai in his hands, Sasuke ran off and tried to jump a tree.

"Sasuke, be careful!"

CRASH!

"OW!"

Oh boy….

* * *

Itachi and I stood across from each other in the tatami room, facing each other. He wanted to see how well I could handle the Soul Steal. As much as I wanted to try it on a human, I didn't want it to be Itachi.

Then again...taking control of Itachi's body would be interesting. He was like my older brother, even though we were nearly the same age, but I knew a way to completely embarrass him.

"Well...come at me Se-Ne."

He asked for it. I closed my eyes, focusing the chakra, feeling the burning sensation in my eyes. I opened them slowly, looking straight into Itachi's eyes. That split second, then I found myself in Itachi's body. Holy hell...it felt..._weird!_

I held my/Itachi's hands up and clenched them into fists before a smirk crossed my/Itachi's lips. Prank time. I directed Itachi's body outside the house and out into the streets, where it was still early evening. My target came in sight, Miyuki Uchiha.

Miyuki has always had a crush on Itachi, not that I minded. Like I said, Itachi was like my brother. It was funny to watch her following him around with drool hanging from her mouth. Itachi had told me that he found her creepy and annoying, and I couldn't help but laugh. The Uchiha was so going to kill me for this.

"Miyuki-chan, your lips are so perfect, it makes me think of kissing them." Strike.

Miyuki's face was red as a tomato. Hit. "Itachi-san, you've finally realized that you wanted me!"

_'Poor girl...'_ Sure enough, Miyuki was now leaning into my/Itachi's body and leaning her face in for a kiss. This was it. I released Itachi from the jutsu just as their lips met.

I saw Itachi's eyes widen before he threw himself back, spitting onto the ground and making a choking sound. Miyuki stood there dumbfounded before running off crying. I laughed my ass off.

It was only when Itachi whirled to face me, his eyes burning with fire. Oh shit...

Running now!


	3. Birthdays and Goodbyes

_Damn it is really hard to keep the characters in character, but I think I'm beginning to get the hang of it. The first three chapters will be in first person, but the rest is in third person, just to see from Selûne's point of view and see her character for what she is. Thanks to Apathetic Devotion for her input :)_

_I don't own Naruto or the characters, but if I did own Itachi, god forbid he would ever be seen again. On with the story! :D_

* * *

*Itachi*

I stared down at the beautiful necklace I had gotten Selûne for her birthday. It had a silver ring with the Amakura clan symbol engraved in it. I knew she would love it. My thoughts drifted to when I had first met her. It seemed like so long ago that we had met even though it had only been about three years ago.

_*I had been out training again. My chunin exam was tomorrow and there was no way I would slip up and fail. Using my shuriken technique, I managed to hit every target dead center. Not bad at all._

_The sound of metal clashing caught my ear. I ran to where the sound kept going and hid myself to watch what was happening. Two kunoichi were throwing shuriken and kunai at each other at an amazing rate. Neither of them could land a strike against each other. Both had pale skin, but the elder of the two had short black hair while the younger had long light brown hair. The symbol on their clothing signified the Amakura clan, a powerful medic nin clan in Konoha. _

_Finally the two ran out of weapons, panting from the exertion. _

"_Well Se-Ne, I guess you've gotten better," the older girl said, a smile coming over her lips._

_The girl she had called Se-Ne pouted, her face going red. "Not as good as you yet, Mayu! But you better believe I will become stronger than you!"_

_The girl called Mayu started laughing. "I'm sure you will. Now then, how about we try the Illusion of Souls technique?"_

_The younger nodded and made hand signs. The speed in which she executed them astonished me. She seemed a skilled ninja and she only looked about my age. Little did I know that I was going to be caught in her jutsu._

_The area around us grew dark and the air shimmered. I activated my Sharingan and what I saw astounded me._

_It was a wall of spirits. It stretched for nearly a 100 feet radius and I realized I was within range of her illusion. One of the spirits tried to grab me and I jumped out of the way just in time. Apparently this jutsu was meant to imprison opponents inside and if they got too close to the spirit wall, they would be grabbed. I didn't want to find out what would happen if they got a hold of me._

_I landed in between the two kunoichi, surprise showing on their faces. The younger dispelled the genjutsu and ran to me. _

"_Are you okay?" she asked me, her dark blue eyes showing concern._

"_Hn."_

"_Well that's rude! I was only asking if you were okay!" she said, crossing her arms over her chest and pouting._

"_Well, well, well…Itachi Uchiha. To what do we owe the pleasure of your company?" I should have known that the Mayu the girl had addressed was none other than Mayu Amakura, the heir of the Amakura clan. I didn't answer her._

"_Ane, shouldn't we go home soon? I know I have my jutsu ready for the chunin exam tomorrow!" the younger girl said, my eyes shifting to her. _

"_We will Selûne, I just want to talk to Uchiha first," Mayu said, her gaze softening at her little sister. Selûne pouted again before looking at me. A smile crossed her face._

"_I'm Selûne Amakura!" _

"_Hn. Itachi Uchiha." *_

It was a memorable first meeting, that was for sure. Selûne and I had met up during the exam and helped each other out, which led to a cautious partnership and eventually we became friends.

And now….now that her family was gone, she was taken in by Father and Mother. I closed the box that held the necklace and slipped it into the pocket of my pants, stepping outside to find Selûne.

* * *

*Selûne*

"_That will be the gist of your mission. You will spend five years in the Land of Snow to train and hone your skills. I also want you to act as a spy on a rogue ninja residing in the region, Kushiru Maniwa. He is a former ANBU who was accused of leaking information to Konoha's enemies. I want you to befriend him and earn his trust. Once you do, kill him."_

_I kept my head bowed in respect to the Third Hokage as he gave me my mission. My heart dropped when he informed me that I would have to remain in the Land of Snow for five years. That would mean I would not see Sasuke or Itachi for a while._

"_Yes Lord Hokage, when will I be leaving for this mission?"_

"_Tomorrow evening."_

I sat in my room at the Uchiha compound, silently packing my things. Five years….five years of not seeing my friends, five years of not being able to go after Mayu, five years of not being able to see Sasuke and Itachi…

"Selûne…?"

I turned my head to see Sasuke standing in the doorway. He grinned at me, but that grin soon faded when he saw my backpack in my lap and various supplies around me. He took one step in and stopped.

"Are you…going somewhere?" I cringed. I hadn't wanted to tell him just yet. I turned my head to avoid his eyes, my bangs covering my eyes.

"Yes…I'm leaving on a mission to the Land of Snow. I won't be back for a while." I was surprised how steady the words came out even though inside I was tearing up. I heard Sasuke gasp. _'I'm so sorry Sasuke…'_

"But…why? How long? Will you be coming back?" Oh Sasuke…your innocence makes me think of Nobutoshi.

"Sasuke…I won't be back for five years. It is a mission of utmost importance. I don't want to be gone for that long, but it is necessary." Sasuke's eyes began to tear up. I stood up and walked towards him, my steps slow. When I stood before him, I dropped to my knees and wrapped my arms around his shoulders. Sasuke froze before his arms wrapped around my waist. I smiled, turning my head to whisper into his ear. "I'll always be there for you Sasuke, whether I'm physically there or not." I kissed his cheek and moved away, allowing me to look Sasuke in the eyes. His face had gone red. I laughed quietly.

"Oh Sasuke," I tapped his nose gently, my way of showing him affection. "Nothing will separate us. We'll be together forever."

* * *

Sasuke was asleep on my bed, his thumb in his mouth. I smiled down at him, running my hand through his spiky hair. It hurt my heart that I would have to leave Sasuke behind if only for a short amount of time. It felt like forever though.

The door to my room opened and Itachi stepped in. He stopped for a moment seeing Sasuke asleep on my bed and I gave him the sign to be quiet. The elder Uchiha walked over and sat down next to me, looking over the supplies on the floor. There was a moment of silence before he finally spoke up.

"I heard you were going to be leaving."

Oh man, another guilt trip. I hoped Itachi wouldn't act like Sasuke and get all upset about it. I was surprised when he reached into his pocket, pulled out a black box and held it out to me. I took it from him and opened it up. Inside was a necklace.

The beauty of it took my breath away. It had a beautiful silver chain and on the end of it was a ring. Not just any ring, it had my clan symbol engraved in it. I tore my eyes away from it to look up at Itachi, my heart beating hard. A small smile tugged at his lips, his eyes questioning.

"Nii-san….it's beautiful…I don't know what to say…"

Itachi's smile grew as he took the box from me. He placed the necklace around my neck and fastened it. When he moved away, I looked down at the ring resting comfortably on my chest. I rested my hand on top of it, feeling the cool metal. It was the sweetest gift anyone had ever given me.

'_Could he be…?' _This thought suddenly popped in my head and I chased it away. No, it wasn't right.

"You look beautiful, Selûne," he murmured, kissing me on the forehead in a brotherly way. I could feel a slight blush creeping up my face. Itachi gave me his signature smirk before getting up and walking towards the door, my eyes following him the whole time. Before he walked out, he stopped and turned his head slightly, not meeting my eyes. "Happy birthday Se-Ne." Then he walked out, closing the door. I sat there in stunned silence.

'_In the whole time we've known each other, this is the first time Itachi has ever given me a gift. I completely forgot it was my birthday.'_

Sasuke stirred then, his eyes opening sleepily and he yawned.

"Se-Ne, whatcha staring at?" he asked. I forgot that I had been staring at my door like it was the most interesting thing ever. I looked at him, a grin splitting my face.

"Oh nothing Sasuke. Did you sleep well?" He nodded and a thought seemed to suddenly hit him. "Oh yeah! Wait here Se-chan!"

He ran out and I could hear his little footsteps run to his room. After a minute of whatever he was doing, he ran back in holding a little stuffed animal. "Happy birthday, Se-chan!"

"Oh Sasuke, it's so cute!" I took the stuffed cat from his hand and looked it over. It looked almost like Sayu except for the little black eyes. "Thank you Sasuke."

I swooped down and kissed his forehead, causing the little Uchiha to blush deeply. "I'll treasure it forever."

Sasuke caught sight of the silver ring around my neck and pointed at it. "Did big brother give you that, Se-chan?"

I looked down at the necklace and smiled. "Of course, he was in here just a few minutes before you woke up."

"He showed it to me earlier today. He said he knew you would like it," Sasuke said, his eyes downcast. "I just think you might like his gift better than mine…"

"Oh Sasuke…" I kneeled down to his level and looked into his black eyes. "I'll cherish both your gifts because it shows me just how much you two love me. And I love you two as well. As long as this gift comes from your heart, it is better than anything else."

Sasuke smiled bashfully, wringing his hands together in front of him. I couldn't help but giggle. This little boy reminded me so much of my little brother, he was just so darn cute. I knew all Sasuke wanted was to be noticed and loved and with me here, he had all the attention and love he could want.

"Come on, it's time you go to bed."

* * *

Tomorrow evening came way too fast. Before I knew it, I was standing at the entrance to the village wearing my ninja gear and carrying my pack. Sasuke and Itachi both stood before me, Sasuke trying his best to hold back tears. This was it, our goodbyes. I always hated goodbyes.

"Well…I guess this is it," I said, my eyes beginning to burn. No Selûne, don't cry. You're a big girl now, you can do this.

Sasuke hugged me tightly, the tears now flowing down his cheeks. "I don't want you to go! What if you never come back?"

"Sasuke…I promise I will come back. I promise you when I come back, we'll always be together. Nothing will separate us." Sasuke could hear the conviction in my words and nodded, his little hands gripping my black shirt tightly. I tugged him off me gently and kissed his forehead, my lips lingering just slightly longer than usual. When I stood back up, Sasuke was blushing once more. I then turned to Itachi, who stood there silently. The tears threatened once more and I couldn't help myself. I threw myself into Itachi's arms, crying into his chest. He wrapped his arms around me, hugging me tightly to him. I half expected him to say something about sucking it up and completing my mission, but he didn't say anything, just held me.

"I'm going to miss you Itachi," I cried.

"I'll miss you too Se-Ne." I smiled at the nickname that Mayu and now the Uchiha brothers had given me. Itachi turned his head so his mouth was right next to my ear. "Don't forget about me, Se-Ne."

I pulled away, rubbing at my eyes to clear them of tears. Itachi smiled and kissed my forehead, running his hand through my brown hair. "Goodbye Selûne."

I sniffed, turning away to face the forest just outside of Konoha. This was it. I began walking. I had gone only a little distance when I heard Sasuke.

"Se-chan!"

I turned only to be tackled by Sasuke, who was crying again. I held him to me, the tears coming again. I didn't want to leave, but I had to.

"Don't forget about me, Se-chan! Please!"

I closed my eyes, feeling my heart break. "I won't, Sasuke. I promise I'll be back and we'll be together again."

Sasuke pulled away, his smile lighting his face again. I had bent down to his level and our eyes stared each other down. Before I could even react, Sasuke had leaned up and pecked me lightly on my lips. I pulled away, a blush rising in my cheeks. Sasuke blushed too, his eyes downcast. I could only smile.

"Goodbye Sasuke. I will see you soon enough."

With those words, I turned and walked off into the darkness of the forest, leaving the Uchiha brothers standing at the gate.


	4. Return to Konoha

_I'm on a roll :D thanks to Apathetic Devotion for input! I'm trying my best to make it good! On with the tale! Oh yeah, don't own Naruto, don't own Itachi and Sasuke. If I did, they would never be seen again lol :) I do own Selûne and Mayu Amakura as well as any other characters NOT in the Naruto series!_

* * *

_Sasuke ran as fast as he could towards the Uchiha stronghold. "Oh man, I'm so late. Mother's going to have a fit!"_

_He slowed down when he reached the main street, noticing that it was dark in the compound. "What...? It's too early for everyone to be asleep."_

_It was then that he panicked. Something must have happened! He ran some more and stopped when he saw bodies. Dead bodies lay in the street, pierced by multiple shuriken and kunai. The buildings had not been spared as they bore the marks of battle._

_"Oh no..."_

_Sasuke froze when he saw the bodies of his aunt and uncle, whom he had only just talked to this morning._

_"Auntie...Uncle...no...no!"_

_Sasuke ran through the streets of the Uchiha stronghold, finding nothing but the dead bodies of his clan members._

"_Who could have done this? Wait-Mother, Father! Itachi!"_

_Sasuke ran back home to an empty house. After searching the rooms, he came to the tatami room and stopped. _

'_Someone's in there…'_

_He gulped and slowly opened the door. He was greeted by the sight of his dead parents. His mother laying on the floor with his father's dead body sprawled over hers. The ground underneath them was covered in blood. _

"_Mother! Father! Who could have done this?"_

_A figure stepped out of the shadows. Itachi!_

"_Itachi, big brother, Father and Mother are both-I don't understand. Who could do all of this!?_

_A shuriken flew by Sasuke, embedding itself into the door. He stood there stunned before his sleeve tore from the weapon, a small cut appearing on his arm. Itachi simply stood there._

"_Wait a sec, what're you-oh no…what have you done!?"_

"_Foolish little brother, I almost pity you." Itachi's eyes closed, then opened. Sasuke stiffened as he was caught in the Mangekyou Sharingan. Sasuke could only watch as the scene where his brother killed everyone, including their mother and father happened over and over again. _

_Sasuke screamed, holding his head in pain. It was all too much! Itachi watched as his brother fell to the ground. Sasuke's breathing was labored._

"_Why, why did you do this? Itachi, why?"_

"_To test the limits of my ability."_

"_To test your….ability, that's why you did this? You're telling me that that was the reason that you butchered every single member of our clan?" Sasuke couldn't believe it!_

_Itachi's eyes closed, his thoughts warring within himself. "It is of great importance."_

"_What're you saying…?" Sasuke's anger built up inside him and he leapt up, running at Itachi. "You're out of your mind!"_

_Sasuke's attack was cut off as Itachi slammed his fist into his little brother's stomach. The wind was knocked out of Sasuke and he wheezed, trying to catch his breath as he fell to the ground. Sasuke lifted his head to look at the lifeless bodies of his parents, tears filling his eyes. Itachi then stepped in front of his fallen brother, causing Sasuke to panic._

"_I'm scared…I'm scared…" Willing himself to get up from the ground, Sasuke lifted himself up and ran out of the room crying, Itachi watching him run away._

_The little Uchiha ran through the streets wailing, his tears flying freely now. "Please don't kill me! Please I don't wanna die!"_

"_Sasuke!" _

_Sasuke stopped at hearing the feminine voice. "Selûne!" Sure enough, there was the young kunoichi, running towards him and smiling. _

"_Sasuke!" She waved wildly at him as she stopped in front of him. "I couldn't take the mission because I couldn't stand to be away from you guys!" Her smile disappeared when she saw his tearstained face. "What's wrong!?"_

"_Itachi….big brother…he killed everyone in our clan! Selûne, you have to stop him!"" Sasuke ran into her arms, hugging her tightly as he cried. "Mother and Father are…."_

_Selûne's face was a war of emotions before she pulled Sasuke away to look at him. "Don't worry Sasuke. I'm here now and I promise I will always be here for you. Remember, we'll always be together." She smiled at him._

_Sasuke's heart leaped and he managed a small smile, but he froze when he saw Itachi standing behind her, katana in hand._

"_Selûne, watch out!"_

_Too late. The katana ran through Selûne's heart. She coughed, blood landing on Sasuke's cheek. His eyes widened. Itachi's face was impassive as he withdrew the katana from her body. Without the leverage of the sword, Selûne fell to her knees before Sasuke. Before she could fall to the ground however, Sasuke ran and caught her, turning her so that her head lay on his knee. _

_Selûne managed a weak smile, blood staining her top and running from the corner of her mouth. "Sasuke…don't forget about me, alright? Remember, I'll always be there for you, even if...I'm not physically there..."_

_Her hand came up to caress his cheek, leaving behind a trail of blood. Her finger tapped his nose in affection before gravity dragged her hand down to rest on the ground. Her body shuddered before her eyes closed._

_Sasuke couldn't believe his eyes. Itachi had killed her. Big brother had killed Selûne. Selûne was dead! Anger welled up inside him. He grabbed one of the kunai from her pouch and threw it at his brother, hoping to Kami that it would hit. Itachi deflected it with his katana. Sasuke's heart sank._

"_You killed her! You killed Selûne! How could you do this? She was like our sister! You loved her too! Why would you kill her!?"_

"_Because she was important to you." Itachi's reply was stone cold, no emotion at all. "Think about it, little brother. You were her one comfort in this world and you let her down. You failed her."_

_Sasuke's eyes filled with tears again. No…he couldn't have failed Selûne. She came back for him, and because she came back, she died. If only she had gone on her mission! He had been selfish and wished for her back!_

"_No…..Selûne….I love you…" Sasuke's whisper was heartfelt as he looked down into her peaceful face, caressing her cheek. He leaned down to place a long lingering kiss on her dead lips before setting her on the ground and facing his brother. _

"_Please don't kill me…" _

"_You're not even worth killing. Foolish little brother, if you wish to kill me one day, foster your hatred and despise me. Surviving in an unsightly manner such as this, by all means flee. Cling to your wretched life and live knowing that you failed the person you loved."_

_Sasuke looked back down at Selûne's motionless body. His head began to hurt as the tears flowed once more. "No….Selûne…I'm so sorry. It's all my fault….it's…." Sasuke collapsed to the ground unconscious. _

_Itachi stared at the motionless body of his little brother before he sighed. He hadn't wanted to use the illusion of Selûne being murdered, but it was necessary in order for Sasuke to hate him wholeheartedly. _

"_I'm sorry Sasuke…." He released the genjutsu he had cast on his brother before running off into the night._

* * *

_*Five years later*_

It was almost midnight when the young kunoichi approached the gates of Konoha. Her trip had been a long one, but it hadn't been uneventful. She had been attacked a few times by rogue ninja, but nothing she couldn't handle. They had managed to graze her a few times but due to her kekkei genkai, she was able to heal her wounds instantly. The white and blue mask she wore depicted a beautiful young woman with elegant markings on her face. A sharp katana rested on her back nestled in a blue and silver sheath. A black cloak covered her figure.

Her soft footsteps alerted the guards at the gate. "Halt. Identify yourself."

She stopped. There was a moment of silence before her hand came up and removed the mask, revealing her face to the guards. Their eyes widened.

"Y-you're…."

* * *

Sasuke Uchiha sat on the lake dock staring into the water. It had been five years since his entire clan had been massacred, his brother had disappeared and the girl he had grown fond of was dead.

'_Selûne…'_

"Hn. What am I doing? She's gone," he said to his reflection.

'_But I can't seem to let her go, can I?'_

Sasuke snorted at his reflection and stood up, shoving his hands in his pockets and walking in the direction of the village.

He was only a block away from his home when he heard the sound of a bell. A person was walking toward him.

This person had to be female because she wore a mask in the shape of a woman's face with designs on the forehead and eyes. She wore a black cloak to conceal her figure. Her long brown hair was tied up in a high ponytail and a gold earring with two clamps on her earlobe was in her right ear.

She was five feet in front of him now. He almost expected her to stop, but she just walked right past him. He stood there for a moment before turning around to face her.

"Stop!"

She stopped, her sandals making a soft _thud _against the ground. Sasuke glared holes at her back, suddenly curious about this mysterious woman who walked the streets this late at night.

"Who are you?"

She didn't respond. Her only movement was a slight turn of her head, her mask obscuring her features, but Sasuke could tell that she was looking at him from behind the porcelain. She made a soft sound of contempt before she started walking again.

"Damn it!" Sasuke ran in front of her, effectively stopping her movements once more. This seemed to agitate her.

"Move, child. I have no time for games!" Her voice was soft yet deadly at the same time.

Sasuke's anger grew and he activated his Sharingan, attempting to see past her appearance. He held a kunai up. "I am no child. I am a shinobi and if you do not identify yourself, I will be forced to attack."

She only stood there. Sasuke heard a nearly inaudible sigh before her hand came up and removed the mask. What he saw made him take a step back.

She was beautiful. Her eyes were a deep blue color framed by long lashes. What he recognized were the three marks tattooed on her face.

'_It can't be….'_

"My name is Selûne Amakura. Now that you have my name, there's no need to bother me any further."

Sasuke froze. _'No, it can't be her. She died…didn't she?"_

His eyes narrowed as he held his kunai in front of him. "No! Selûne Amakura is dead! I saw her die!"

"Huh?" She felt her body to make sure. "Last time I checked I was alive and well, thank you very much!"

"You can't be alive….it can't be true…"

Selûne's eyes narrowed. "What makes you think I'm dead?"

Sasuke stood there for a moment, his thoughts racing. _'What if Itachi had used an illusion on me to show her being killed? She wouldn't have abandoned a mission like that! I know her!'_ He looked at her once more, his Sharingan active.

"What is your name? You must be an Uchiha because of those eyes…" she said, her voice trailing off as she looked up at his head of spiky black hair.

Her eyes widened. "Sasuke?"

Before Sasuke knew what had happened, Selûne had thrown herself at him, hugging him tightly. "Sasuke, I'm so happy to see you! I missed you so much!" She kissed his cheek and pulled away to see that a light blush had settled in Sasuke's cheeks, much like when he was younger. She smiled, her face lighting up.

"How have you been? Where is Itachi?" Upon hearing his brother's name, Sasuke stiffened and his face contorted in an expression of the utmost anger. Selûne's smile fell, confusion written across her features. "Did I miss something while I was gone?"

"I still don't believe you're really Selûne. What did I give you for your birthday before you left?" Sasuke crossed his arms over his chest and glared at her.

Selûne stared dumbly at him before reaching into her pack and pulling out a worn stuffed animal in the shape of a black cat. "You gave me this. I loved it so much because it reminded me of my cat Sayu. Sasuke, what more proof do you need? I really am alive. I'm here with you, that's all that matters."

'_It really is her….I can't believe it…it had to have been an illusion.'_

"Things have changed since you left, Selûne," Sasuke said, his voice calm and sad. She tilted her head to the side, her eyes showing confusion. Sasuke sighed and began explaining.

* * *

Sasuke had just told her about the recent events that had occurred in Konoha. The chunin exams, his assault by Orochimaru who had placed a curse seal on him, Orochimaru's attack on Konoha and the death of the Third Hokage. Selûne could only shake her head, overwhelmed by the news.

"But….why? Why would Itachi do that? It doesn't sound like him at all!"

"He's an evil bastard who deserves death. And I promised to put an end to him." Sasuke's fists clenched at the thought of his brother. His brother, who had used a genjutsu to fool him into thinking Selûne had died! But now…looking at Selûne's sad face nearly broke his heart. All the hatred and coldness that he had fostered over the past five years completely melted away just looking at her. Her eyes met his.

"Sasuke, it's late. We should head home."

With those words, Selûne started walking in the direction of the Uchiha stronghold, but Sasuke stopped her.

"Selûne, you shouldn't go there. It's been sealed off from the village. Come home with me, you'll be safe there."

Her eyes widened for a moment before softening. "Alright Sasuke, lead the way."

* * *

Once the two had arrived at Sasuke's apartment, the first thing Selûne did was shower. When she mentioned this to Sasuke, the boy blushed furiously and nodded, turning away to stare out the window. In the shower, Selûne stared at the wall, thinking about what Sasuke had said.

'_It just seems unbelievable, I can't believe that in the short time I was gone, everything like that had happened. I should have stayed!'_

She stepped out of the shower feeling fresh from her long journey, giving a sigh of content. "Thank Kami I'm back home…"

She walked out of the bathroom in a white nightshirt and her hair falling down the small of her back. Sasuke was sitting on the window ledge, staring at the full moon. He turned his head to look at her, his black eyes widening before he turned away, his face red.

'_Oh Sasuke, still quick to blush I see…'_

"Sasuke…maybe you should go to sleep. It's late," she said, patting the bed. Sasuke grunted before getting up and walking to the closet. "Where do you think you're going, little Uchiha?" she asked.

He looked at her. "Getting the extra mattress?"

Selûne laughed at his innocent look. "Sasuke, it's okay if we sleep in the same bed. After all, you're like a little brother to me so it's not a problem."

Sasuke blushed even more before nodding his head silently. Selûne laid down in his small bed, the covers already over her. It had been a very long day for her so it didn't take long before she had fallen into a light sleep. In the back of her mind, she registered Sasuke getting into the bed and cuddling up to her, resting his head on her shoulder. Selûne wrapped her arm around his shoulders and held him to her, smiling in her sleep.


	5. Itachi and Kisame

_Yay the next chapter :D don't own Naruto or anything of it. Selûne is mine though. Mine ;P!_

* * *

Selûne woke the next morning to find Sasuke had already gone. There was a small note on his pillow.

_Se-Ne, _

_Went to train. I'll be back sometime this afternoon._

_Sasuke_

She sighed. She had been hoping to spend time with Sasuke today to catch up, but she understood his training was important. It was all he would talk about when he was younger.

"Might as well report in to the Hokage," she said before she stopped herself. "Oh yeah…he's dead. Well…maybe I can talk to Kakashi about it."

She changed into a white sleeveless summer dress with a white cover and sandals. After brushing her hair out and putting it in a ponytail, Selûne set out to find the silver-haired jonin.

* * *

The large boulder had been almost blown away, but Sasuke was not satisfied. His Chidori was growing stronger and stronger, but not strong enough. He sat down for a breather and took a drink of water, all the while thinking of what had happened this morning when he woke up.

_The sunlight poured into his bedroom as Sasuke's eyes opened to see Selûne's face in front of his. She looked so peaceful in her sleep, like all her worries had disappeared. Her light pink lips were parted slightly. Sasuke couldn't take his eyes off them. He found himself leaning in…_

_His lips met hers in a soft kiss, barely a brushing of lips. Sasuke's heart fluttered as he pressed his lips more firmly to hers, feeling the softness of hers underneath his. _

'_Selûne…'_

_She didn't stir at all. Sasuke thanked Kami that she was a heavy sleeper otherwise she might have freaked out. He then remembered what she had said about him being like her little brother._

'_Maybe she doesn't feel the same way about me…it would make sense since I'm just a kid.'_

_Sasuke got out of the bed and got dressed, looking back at her sleeping form, so angelic in her sleep. He wrote her a quick note and left the apartment._

Sasuke clenched his fist, activating Chidori and slamming it into the boulder once more, completely obliterating it.

"That's enough!" he growled to himself.

* * *

After walking for a bit, Selûne stopped and looked around. "Walking around will get me nowhere…I guess I should try to sense his chakra signature."

She closed her eyes and began to search for Kakashi's chakra. Once she had it, she pinpointed it to the river. "Oh well, only a few minutes away. Hope he remembers me."

She took a few steps and stopped when she heard an explosion. "What the…?" She took off running in the direction of the sound and stopped dead in her tracks. There was Kakashi, Kurenai and a man she didn't know facing off against two figures in black cloaks with red clouds adorning them. One of them was tall with blue skin while the other was slightly shorter than the other with black hair and….red eyes…

'_No….'_

"Kakashi! Kurenai!"

The silver haired man and the red eyed woman turned to look at her. Selûne placed her hands on the railing and jumped over, her feet landing on the surface of the water. She walked toward the three jonin, everyone's eyes following her.

"Well well…Selûne Amakura, I see you're back," Kakashi said, placing his hand on her shoulder. "Did the mission…?"

"Completed. Kushiru has been eliminated," she said, a smile on her face.

"Good, now we have a problem to deal with and it's a good thing you came along. We could use a medic right now just in case things get a little too rough." Kakashi turned back to the dark haired man. "Now then…what're you here for?"

"The legacy…of the Fourth Hokage." That voice was shockingly familiar to Selûne and she looked straight at the man, whose eyes were now upon her. She suddenly recognized him.

"I-Itachi…Uchiha? It is you…" she said, her voice breaking. Itachi stood there, his face completely emotionless. "Why…why did you do that to Sasuke? You put him under an illusion to think that I was dead…who'd believe that even you would go that far.."

"It was necessary for him to hate me so that he would become stronger. He's still weak." Itachi's voice was emotionless, calm, calculating.

It was then that the blue man stepped in. "Itachi, this little girl is annoying me. Can I kill her? It would be a pleasure to slice her to ribbons."

"No Kisame, she is not part of this fight. She is merely a bystander."

"What?" Selûne was furious now. Itachi, the man she had seen as a loving brother was now a cold killer. "Itachi…you're dead!"

Selûne's eyes closed and Itachi's widened. _'She wouldn't use that jutsu on me, would she?'_

His suspicions were confirmed when her eyes opened and Itachi saw that her eyes were no longer blue, but a bright golden color.

"Hmmm…it is unlike you to use such a jutsu so early in a battle, Selûne. While it is devastating to the opponent, it only works if their gaze meets yours. I possess the Sharingan, which can turn your own attack back at you. You've just made a fatal mistake and now you will pay."

Selûne had no time to react when the real Itachi appeared behind her and kicked her squarely in the back. Pain shot through her spine as she was thrown forward into the water.

"Selûne!"

She sank underneath the water, the pain quickly disappearing as her Hira no Seishin took effect. She looked up, seeing the watery form of Itachi above her. He wasn't looking at her anymore, so he probably didn't deem her as much of a threat.

'_I'll show him!'_

She hit the bottom and channeled her chakra into her feet, forcing herself upward in a powerful jump. She burst out of the water, hovering over Itachi and Kisame before bringing her leg around in a roundhouse kick. She managed to hit Kisame, but Itachi grabbed her ankle before she could hit him. Selûne twisted her body and brought her fist around to hit him, but he caught that as well. Now she was staring him directly in the eyes. In her peripheral vision, she saw Kakashi fall to his knees, panting hard.

"Kakashi, what happened!?" The jonin couldn't answer her, his breathing was erratic. _'Oh no…'_

"Selûne…you shouldn't have come back." Itachi's voice was barely a whisper, his eyes boring into hers. She closed her eyes for a brief moment before opening them again, a small smile on her face.

"I came back for you and Sasuke, Itachi," she said.

She felt Itachi's body stiffen before he gripped her fist harder and threw her towards Kurenai. Selûne flipped in the air and landed on her feet gracefully, the skirt of her dress billowing slightly.

Itachi watched the young kunoichi warily. She had gotten stronger since he had last seen her five years ago and she seemed so much more mature. He didn't want to admit it, but when she had done her flip in the air, he caught a glimpse of light purple lace under her skirt and his heart had started beating faster.

'_She's also gotten more beautiful, haven't you noticed?'_

"Shut up…" Itachi murmured to himself.

"Kakashi." Selûne went to aid the fallen jonin. At that moment, Kisame came running at them, his sword coming up for the kill.

There was an explosion of water as a black haired man appeared, causing Kisame to jump back in surprise.

'_What the…?'_ The water settled and the man stood there, his hand up in a 'come hither' motion.

"And who might you be?" Kisame asked.

"The Leaf Village's fiercest beast of battle. I'm Might Guy!" The man flashed a smile.

"You're Might Guy huh? Mighty stupid looking guy!" Kisame's comment made Selûne snicker.

"Don't underestimate him," Itachi said to Kisame.

Selûne took that moment to grab Kakashi and jump to the safety of solid ground. Itachi's eyes followed her every movement as she set to work healing Kakashi of any wounds he had.

"We're pulling out. We're not here to fight a full scale battle. Tempting as it may be, it's not the way to do this. Let's go Kisame." With that, Itachi and Kisame disappeared, leaving the four jonin to wonder just what the hell had happened.

* * *

Selûne sat next to Kakashi's bed, watching over the man as he slept. Not a word was said between the four shinobi. Itachi's words kept going through her mind.

'_You shouldn't have come back…'_

'_What could he have meant?'_

The door to Kakashi's room opened to reveal Sasuke. "Kakashi!"

He froze seeing the four people in the room and his sensei in his bed. "What're you all doing here? Why is Kakashi in his bed? What's going on?"

It was at that moment that another shinobi ran through the door. "Is it true? Is it true that Itachi's returned and he's looking for Naruto?"

"Oh no…you idiot!" Guy yelled. Everyone looked at Sasuke, who stood there frozen.

'_Sasuke…no!'_

Selûne watched as Sasuke's face contorted in anger before he dashed out of the room. "Sasuke!" She jumped up and ran after the young Uchiha. He was too fast however and he soon disappeared into the crowd. She slowed to a stop, looking around.

'_That man said that Itachi is looking for Naruto…if I know Naruto, he's gotta be at the ramen shop!'_

She sprinted as fast as she could to the ramen shop, flinging the drapes back and yelling. "Hey! Did you see a short blonde kid in here just now?"

The man and lady behind the counter exchanged looks before turning back to the kunoichi. "You're the second person to ask us. He left for the town on the outskirts with an older man. Said something about training."

Selûne didn't stay to thank them, she just ran off. "Hey, don't you at least want to buy a bowl of ramen!?"

Selûne had just reached the town when a building to her right exploded, a giant hole appearing in the upper floor wall. She gasped, then steeled herself.

'_I need to be focused. There's a chance that I might get seriously hurt if I don't watch myself.'_

She jumped up through the hole and nearly took a step back from shock. Sasuke, Naruto, Kisame and Itachi were there. Itachi held Sasuke's wrist in a firm grip, the last vestiges of Sasuke's attack wearing away.

"Sasuke!"

His red eyes flicked to her, the anger in his eyes giving way to a softer look. "Selûne you fool. Why did you follow me?"

Unconsciously she took a step forward and Itachi tightened his grip on Sasuke's wrist, causing Sasuke to yell. "Sasuke, no!"

Selûne's eyes turned gold, her face contorting in a mask of fury. "Itachi!" She made hand signs and her hands began to glow with blue chakra. The elder Uchiha simply stared at her.

"No Selûne!" Sasuke's plea went unheard as Itachi broke his wrist and threw the young Uchiha to the ground as she ran at him, her arm coming up in an arc. Itachi caught her hand, ignoring the pain that shot through his arm. _'I should have grabbed her wrist, but even so, she could have twisted it to hit me. It wouldn't cause as much damage if I caught her hand.'_

His free hand caught her other hand, once again ignoring the pain that coursed through his arm. _'Chakra scalpels, I should have expected this knowing that she is a medic nin.' _His eyes widened when two clones rushed at him and another one went to Sasuke's aid. He pushed the real Selûne away and countered attacks from the two clones, attacking one with a shuriken and the other with a kick to the stomach. Instead of them disappearing, they stayed intact. The one who had the shuriken thrown at her smirked.

"It's no use attacking these clones of mine. Only very powerful jutsu can defeat them. You're not the only one who's gotten stronger Itachi. I learned a very valuable jutsu during my time in the Land of Snow, Crystal Clone Jutsu. The skin of these clones is extremely tough so shuriken and kunai deflect it and a blade is simply turned away. It's extremely useful in tight situations such as this."

Itachi's eyes only narrowed, his Sharingan scanning over the clones. Selûne had formed the clones so well that even he could not tell which one was the real Selûne. His instinct told him to attack the one tending to Sasuke; only that one could be her because of her healer's spirit. He dashed past the three and brought his fist around, catching the girl off guard and throwing her against the wall. Sharp pain shot through Itachi's fist. It felt like he had just hit a steel wall with his hand. It was then that he realized that had been a clone. He had been wrong!

"Kisame, get rid of those three," he said, staring at his bruised right hand. The three Selûnes turned around just to see Kisame's Samehada coming at them, going through all three at the waist. However instead of blood, crystal scattered everywhere. Clones again.

'_Where is the real Selûne, I wonder?' _Itachi thought as he stared down at the form of the clone he had taken out. A bell went off in his mind as the real Selûne's foot connected with his face, throwing him off guard. _'What? She's the only one who has managed to land a hit on me…impressive.'_

Itachi landed on his feet, a red mark appearing on his cheek where Selûne had struck him. He lifted his head to look into the dark blue eyes of the girl he had known and loved. A flash of silver caught his eye and he looked at her throat, seeing the silver chain with the silver ring attached to it.

'_You still have it, Selûne…'_

At that moment Kisame raised his sword to hit Naruto. The kunoichi gasped as she tried to run to Naruto's aid, but was stopped by the Uchiha. "No! Naruto!"

A puff of smoke and then…a giant toad in armor appeared, defending Naruto from Samehada. An old man then appeared, holding a young woman dressed in a skimpy mini dress.

"Jiraiya the Toad Sage falls victim to no woman's charm! Rare beauties drop for me, like blossoms in a storm! It isn't in my nature to be duped by the wiles of women! When you reach the stature I have, the ladies kneel and worship at your awesomeness!"

'_Oh Kami, this guy is an idiot!'_ Selûne thought. _'I hope this isn't the old man that's training Naruto.' _She glanced at Itachi, who just stared at Jiraiya like he was an idiot. _'I guess I'm not the only one who shares that thought.'_

"Don't give me that. One week from a pretty girl and you turn into a mountain of mush!" Naruto yelled, a vein popping out in his head. "You fell for it like a ton of bricks, pervy sage!"

'_Pervy sage? Oh Kami, why am I not surprised?'_

"I really wish you wouldn't call me that in front of other people," Jiraiya said, holding the back of his head bashfully. Naruto was fuming.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? We've got worse things to worry about than what these guys think of you! Get with it pervy sage!" "DIDN'T I JUST ASK YOU NOT TO CALL ME THAT!?" Selûne could feel herself sweat drop.

'_Well, they're almost exactly alike. They go well together.'_

"Whatever name you go by Master Jiraiya, I must say you're something of a disappointment. A lecherous old man with the disposition of a child, it's hard to believe you're one of the three legendary Sannin," Kisame said, his amusement apparent in his voice.

Jiraiya laid the woman down and glared at the two men. "I know Naruto is the one you're really after."

Selûne's eyes widened. Naruto…they were after Naruto. She looked down at Sasuke, who hadn't moved. While Itachi was distracted speaking to Jiraiya, she moved over to the fallen Uchiha and began to pour her chakra into him, giving him strength. Itachi however sensed what she was doing and charged at her.

Jiraiya in all that time had not noticed the young kunoichi because she had been hidden behind Kisame the whole time, but when he saw Itachi coming at her, he acted. Dashing in front of the girl, he created a shield of his own body. Itachi merely smirked and kicked the old man in the back, hearing a low crack. Jiraiya groaned, falling forward onto Selûne.

"Kami get him off! Oh god he's so damn heavy!" Selûne shrieked trying to push the lecherous sage off her. His face had landed right in between her breasts and it seemed he didn't want to move now. "EWWWW!"

"Gahhhh! Pervy sage strikes again!" Naruto yelled as he ran and pulled the Sannin off the kunoichi, who once she was free, she hit the old man over the head.

"Naruto was right! You are a pervy sage!" she yelled, a vein popping in her head.

Jiraiya seemed perfectly fine now, his face bashful. "Well when you have a pretty girl under you, you just can't help yourself, now can you?"

"That's easy for you to say! You're much too old for me, old man!" Selûne yelled, pointing an accusing finger at him.

"Enough! This isn't the time for child's play. Naruto, it's time you come with us." Itachi interrupted the little tirade coming from all three of them.

"This is perfect for me though," Jiraiya said. "I can take you both out at the same time."

"N-no…" Sasuke groaned, struggling to rise to his feet. "The only one who's going to eliminate him is ME!"

Itachi was impassive. "Go away fool, you don't interest me at the moment."

Sasuke's face was furious. "Well get interested!"

He ran at the elder Uchiha, but Itachi was quicker. His foot shot out and struck Sasuke in the gut, throwing the young chunin back against the wall at the end of the hallway.

"Sasuke!" Both Naruto and Selûne cried out in unison. Naruto reacted first, running towards Itachi, murder in his eyes.

"No Naruto! Don't butt in, mind your own business!" Sasuke yelled. Naruto stopped, his eyes wide. "I told you before, I've lived my whole life for this day, for this moment. This fight is mine!"

Sasuke managed to jump back up and run at Itachi once more, who turned to face his little brother. Sasuke pulled back his fist for a strike, but Itachi caught it and slammed his arm into Sasuke's face, throwing him back against the wall once more. Blood flew from Sasuke's mouth as his back hit the wall.

"Sasuke!" Selûne ran towards the fallen Uchiha. He stirred slightly. "I'm not finished yet. This fight….is mine…"

"Sasuke….please…don't overdo it!" she begged, making hand signs. Her hands glowed with a green chakra and she pressed them to Sasuke's cheeks, allowing the healing chakra to take effect.

"So be it." Itachi's voice was right behind her before she was thrown to the side, her head hitting the wall. Spots swam through her vision and pain burst from the back of her head. She could barely make out Itachi beating Sasuke until he finally threw him against the wall, holding him by the neck.

Sasuke could barely breathe, Itachi was holding him by his neck tightly. "You're still too weak, little brother. You don't have enough hate. And you know something?" At this, Itachi leaned forward so he could whisper into Sasuke's ear. "You never will."

Itachi drew away, his eyes closed. Sasuke's stomach dropped. His eyes opened once more, trapping Sasuke in his illusion of Tsukuyomi.

"_Where am I? What's happening?" Sasuke looked around the empty darkness, finding nothing. Suddenly he felt like he was falling back into the emptiness. _

_He found himself back in his childhood home, back in his 7 year old body. "This place…I know it!" He looked at his hands, suddenly realizing his brother was making him relive that horrible day all over again. He clenched his fists, beginning to cry. No, he didn't want to see it again! He didn't want to see his people, his parents and most of all, he didn't want to see Selûne die! Not again!_

"_Yes, it's our childhood home." Itachi's voice rang out in his mind, sinister and deadly. _

_Sasuke saw his parents sitting there, awaiting their fate. "Father, Mother!" Itachi appeared behind them, his katana in hand raised for the kill. "NO!"_

"_You're weak Sasuke and twenty four hours from now, you'll be weaker still." Itachi's voice was cold as the katana came down and sliced through their parents, blood spraying._

"_NOOOOOOO!" _

_Sasuke found himself out on the streets now, seeing the bodies of his clan members. _

"_Sasuke!" _

_He saw Selûne running toward him, smiling widely at him. He ran to her, but stopped when Itachi appeared behind her. The katana ran through Selûne's heart and she coughed, blood flying. She fell to her knees holding her chest. Before she fell to the ground, she looked at Sasuke and smiled._

"_Sasuke…I'm so sorry…I love you…"_

_She fell to the ground dead._

"_NOOOOOOOOOO!"_

Sasuke's eyes widened and a scream tore from his throat loud and long, snapping Selûne out of her foggy mind. "Sasuke!"

Jiraiya began making hand seals as Selûne ran at the elder Uchiha, her eyes blazing with fire. She stopped, seeing the walls begin to turn a pink color. The floors also began to turn the same color, becoming soft and mushy. "What is this?"

"Ninja Art, Toad Mouth Trap. Welcome my friends to the belly of the beast, you've just been swallowed by the mountain toad. He has a very sensitive digestive tract so don't agitate him too much," Jiraiya said, a grin appearing on his face.

Selûne turned her attention away from the Sannin to see that Itachi was distracted. This was her chance! She pulled a kunai from her pouch and ran at Itachi. He turned quickly and countered her attack with his own kunai. She struggled as his strength bore down on her, trying to keep them in a stalemate. Selûne looked up into Itachi's eyes, seeing only coldness…and a hint of sadness. _'Itachi….'_

"You've gotten better Selûne. I could almost consider you a rival," Itachi said, pushing more into his kunai. "Almost."

Selûne growled. "You hurt Sasuke…I'm going to make you pay, Itachi!"

He only closed his eyes. "This was not my intention…to make you hate me. I would prefer you not hate me." Selûne froze.

"What?"

"Forgive me Selûne, but this is for your own good." With those words, Itachi knocked the kunai from her hand and grabbed her by the neck, forcing her closer to him. His other hand bound her wrists in front of her, keeping her from attacking any further. Selûne's eyes widened as Itachi's face came closer…closer…

His nose touched hers and at the same time, his lips did as well. Selûne stood there in shock, not believing what was happening. Itachi was kissing her!

'_No…something's happening…why do I feel so tired?'_

Itachi had channeled his chakra into the form of a sleep jutsu, forcing the chakra into his mouth and transferring it to Selûne once his lips touched hers. He watched as those golden eyes slowly shifted back to dark blue and her eyes closed, her body going limp against his. He laid her down on the ground, the jutsu that Jiraiya had cast forming a soft surface for her.

"Kisame, come."

Kisame pulled free of the fleshy prison holding his Samehada and ran to Itachi who rounded the corner. Both ninja ran as fast as they could to keep themselves from being swallowed by the toad. The window at the end of the hall was the only part not covered by the flesh.

'_We will make it.'_

"It's too fast, we won't make it. It's no use," Kisame said, his voice angry.

Itachi closed his eyes for a moment. Before he opened them again, he thought of Selûne, the girl he had grown fond of in their childhood. He had spared her because he knew she would seek him out and when she did, that was when he would possess her, body and mind. His eyes shot open.

"Amaterasu."

Black flames engulfed the flesh surrounding the window and the two missing nin jumped to safety.

* * *

Naruto stared down at the Uchiha and the Amakura. Sasuke was badly beaten, his eyes staring blankly. Selûne however only had a few bruises, but she wouldn't wake up when he pricked her with a kunai.

"She's under a sleep jutsu. It'll be a while before she wakes up…if she does, that is," Jiraiya said, squatting down to inspect the young Amakura. A kunai embedded itself in the wall and both Naruto and Jiraiya gasped. A black figure appeared and kicked Jiraiya in the face, knocking him back. It was Guy, a triumphant smirk on his face which quickly turned to surprise when he realized who he had hit.

"I'm sorry, I thought you were someone else," he said, a bashful grin on his face. Jiraiya's eye twitched before he yelled at the jonin. "If that's your way of saying sorry, it sucks!"

Guy looked down at the motionless forms of Sasuke and Selûne.

'_What happened to them? Is this Itachi's doing?'_

"We need to get them to an expert medical ninja immediately. The woman we came looking for is the one we need," Jiraiya said, picking Selûne up over his shoulder.

"Huh…the woman? You don't mean…" Guy said, his voice shocked.

Jiraiya laughed. "That's exactly who I mean. Another one of the three legendary Sannin, the queen of slugs and elixirs. The gambling fool and the mistress of the healing arts, Lady Tsunade!"


	6. Fight! Tsunade's Determination

_Just to clarify things, Selûne's name is pronounced (sey-LOO-neh). I like the name personally...thanks to Apathetic Devotion for her valuable input :)_

_I don't own Naruto, but I do own Selûne! :D_

* * *

Selûne dreamed.

_It was nothing but darkness around her. Selûne looked around but saw nothing, nothing but black. A low feminine laugh sounded behind her and she froze. She knew that laugh._

"_I never imagined that we would meet in this way, little sister." _

'_Mayu…'_

_Selûne forced herself to turn and face the form of her sister. Mayu hadn't changed. Her black hair was still short and her blue eyes were golden, a sign of their clan's kekkei genkai. And those eyes were glaring at her…_

"_Mayu…I swear with everything I have, I will kill you!" _

_Mayu smirked, closing her eyes in contempt. "Dear little Se-Ne, this is a dream. While I cannot kill you here, I can torture you by showing you the things you fear most."_

_Selûne's eyes widened when Sasuke appeared before her, glaring at her with the utmost hatred._

"_Selûne, why didn't you come back sooner? You're the reason my brother killed my clan! You could have prevented everything from happening! I hate you!" Sasuke screamed at her, throwing multiple kunai and shuriken at her. Selûne was too shocked to react and the weapons hit her, three kunai hitting her stomach, shuriken in her arms and one kunai in her heart. She coughed and the blood rose up her throat, choking her. _

_Itachi appeared behind her, holding a katana in his hand. Selûne couldn't do anything but look at him, feeling the weakness start to spread throughout her body. The katana came down and pierced her chest, severing her heart muscles. Blood spilled from her chest as Itachi withdrew the sword, her hand going up to hold the wound._

"_Sasuke….Itachi….I'm so sorry…it's all my fault…forgive me…"_

_Before she knew what had happened, her wounds had healed and the two Uchihas disappeared, only to reappear before Mayu. Both were on their knees and their faces were downcast. _

"_Watch now as I rip everything away from you again, dear sister," Mayu said as she crouched down next to Sasuke and yanked his head back, putting the blade to his neck. _

"_No….Mayu please…don't do this! Don't kill him!" _

_Mayu only chuckled as she slashed the blade through Sasuke's throat, his life's blood staining his clothes. Sasuke's eyes widened as his life slipped away. Mayu then brought the blade to Itachi. By this time, Selûne was desperate. She tried to move but found she was immobilized. _

"_Mayu….please!" The blade ran through Itachi's heart, still wet with Sasuke's blood. This was the final straw for Selûne. She screamed, finally breaking free of her paralysis and running to the fallen Uchihas. She pressed her hands to Itachi's chest, trying to halt the flow of blood and channeling her chakra into his body. Sasuke was lost already, having died almost instantly from the blood loss, but Itachi she could try to save. But the blood just kept coming…_

"_No…Itachi…this can't be the end!" Itachi smiled at Selûne, his hand coming up to rest on her cheek. She froze, staring into his red eyes. _

"_Selûne…I'll always be there for you because…" he stopped to cough up blood._

"_Because?" Her heart lifted, wanting to hear what he was about to say._

"_Because I love you…" His body shuddered one last time and his hand fell from her cheek._

_Selûne's heart broke. "No….Itachi! No no no no no!"_

_Mayu appeared behind her, her sword up. "Now you…"_

_Selûne didn't move, she just stared at both bodies. Itachi and Sasuke…_

_Mayu's sword came down._

Selûne's body was sweating uncontrollably, caught in a bad dream no doubt. The blonde woman hovering over her had to work faster. It was a powerful sleep jutsu that had been placed on her as well as a genjutsu to torture her. If she didn't break the jutsu soon, Selûne's mind would break, rendering her catatonic.

"Hey what's taking so long!?" Naruto's loud voice broke through the silence that had permeated the room for nearly twenty minutes. The woman gave him a deadly glare.

"Shut up you numbskull. I need my complete concentration to break this jutsu!" she shouted, her voice loud and commanding.

Naruto fell silent as she poured more of her chakra into the girl's body.

'_I need to reach her! I know I can!'_

* * *

_Selûne couldn't breathe. Mayu's jutsu had her trapped underneath a sheet of ice and her body was completely paralyzed._

'_Just how long do you plan on torturing me Mayu?'_

"_Selûne!" _

_Her eyes shot open. "S-sensei?" _

"_Listen to my voice. This is a dream, a genjutsu placed on you to keep you from ever waking up. I know you're stronger than this, now find your will and wake up!"_

_Her eyes narrowed. "Yes Sensei!" She closed her eyes and focused hard, breaking through the ice and finding freedom._

"_Wake up!"_

The Amakura's eyes opened and she shot up in bed, knocking heads with the blonde woman.

"Ow! Hey watch it!" A fist came around and knocked Selûne upside the head. She rubbed her head to ease the pain and looked at the woman who had saved her.

"T-Tsunade-sensei?"

The blonde woman smiled at her, mussing her hair up. "Good to see you again, kiddo." Tsunade's eyes widened when the younger girl threw her arms around her sensei. Her eyes softened when she looked down at the Amakura, her eyes tearing up.

"Tsunade-sensei, I missed you so much. Why didn't you say goodbye when you left? I was so worried about you!" Selûne's little tirade made Tsunade flinch. The girl knew that Tsunade had to leave the village, especially after Dan's death. She had believed the title of Hokage was nothing but a fool's game, therefore destroying all the ideals she had had about the village, making her lose faith.

"Sasuke!" Selûne suddenly shot up in the bed. "I have to make sure he's okay."

"He's fine," Jiraiya said. "He's just resting in the hospital. We're bringing Tsunade back so she can heal him. Plus, did you know your sensei is going to be the Fifth Hokage?"

"Hold on just a minute Jiraiya, I didn't agree to anything just yet," Tsunade said, her eyes narrowing at the pervy sage.

"But Tsunade, we need you to help Sasuke!" Naruto yelled, his hand punching the bed. Selûne watched as her sensei threw a murderous glare in Naruto's direction before turning back to her former student.

"Selûne, come with me. I want you to be my companion for something important."

Jiraiya could only watch as the two medic nin walked out of the room. _'Tsunade, what will your choice be?'_

* * *

Tsunade and Selûne stood in a narrow alley with two tall brick walls surrounding them. When Selûne had asked where they were going, Tsunade had snorted.

"To meet an old friend."

'_An old friend? I wonder who she meant…'_

"Well, what's your answer?" A sinister silky voice said from behind them. Selûne turned to see who it was and gasped.

'_Orochimaru!'_

"Tsunade-sensei…? What is he talking about? What does he mean?" the younger kunoichi asked, her eyes questioning. Tsunade didn't reply, just simply stood there.

"I'll heal your arms, but in exchange, you leave the Leaf Village alone," Tsunade said, turning to face Orochimaru. Selûne saw the sinister smirk appear on Orochimaru's face.

"Very well."

Selûne didn't trust him at all. After what Sasuke had told her, she had reason to despise Orochimaru. She could only watch helplessly as the two Sannin walked toward each other until they stood mere inches from the other. Orochimaru lifted his hands to Tsunade, who created a large sphere of chakra in her hands. Selûne's eyes widened.

'_I see what she's doing. She must not trust Orochimaru to leave the village alone so instead of healing him, she's going to kill him. Thank you Tsunade-sensei…'_

Before the deal could be carried out, a kunai was thrown between the two shinobi, who jumped out of the way just in time. All three looked in the direction of where the weapon had come from. Selûne saw a man she had not seen before. He had grey hair and black eyes framed by glasses. She watched as he did a series of graceful backflips across the roof before landing on the ground behind Orochimaru.

"What is the meaning of this betrayal….Tsunade!?" Orochimaru's voice was furious. "So this is your answer after all I've offered you, you would repay me by killing me, is that it? Fortunately I can depend on Kabuto's loyalty."

"I could tell she was building up her chakra for an attack," the man known as Kabuto said.

"Oh Tsunade, I would've brought back your loved ones. I was even going to abandon my dream of destroying the Leaf Village," Orochimaru's voice was mocking as he addressed the female Sannin.

'_What? He promised to bring back her brother and Dan? But…that's impossible…!'_ Selûne looked to her sensei, whose eyes had grown sad.

"I knew your promise to leave the Leaf Village alone was a worthless lie. But even so…even though I knew that…the chance to see them both one more time, to touch them if only for a second, to once more see their smiles. But I was weak, so weak that for a moment I would have sacrificed everything they died for just to see them again. Just once…for that I was willing to throw away the village and the lives of everyone in it. To think I would have been so blind by the memory of their faces. I loved them, I loved them both so much…just to see them again and hold them in my arms. But Naruto…he made me remember something, something I had been trying to forget. He shares the dream they shared…the dream they gave their lives for. You said once that everything on earth crumble and fade away. I wish that were true. I really wish this feeling will go away, but it never will…"

Selûne's heart nearly broke at seeing her sensei like this. She placed her hand on Tsunade's shoulder, the blonde looking at it for a moment and grabbing it tightly, the tears falling freely down her cheeks.

"Selûne…you…Shizune…and Naruto…are all I have now. Don't go anywhere…"

"I'll always be here sensei…"

"Isn't this touching?" Orochimaru's voice broke the moment between sensei and student. "It seems we've reached an impasse, so be it Tsunade! I'm afraid I'm going to have to use force!"

Selûne jumped in front of her sensei, drawing a kunai from her pouch. "If you lay a hand on my sensei…I'll kill you!"

Tsunade's eyes widened at seeing her best student protect her. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears as she placed her hand on Selûne's shoulder. "No Selûne, I can handle them. Watch and learn."

Selûne smiled at her sensei. "Always ready to learn, Tsunade sensei!"

Tsunade ran at the two rogue ninja and jumped high in the air, bringing her leg down into the ground. The ground shattered from the Sannin's incredible strength, but the two managed to escape to high ground. As the smoke cleared, Tsunade's loud voice rang through the air.

"Come on Orochimaru!"

Orochimaru laughed shakily. "It's amazing that after all this time, we've never met in combat."

Tsunade removed her green cloak and threw it into the air. "That's right!"

"Don't even think about it. You'll have to get through me first!" Kabuto said arrogantly.

"I don't care. It'll be a pleasure to kill you both right now!" Tsunade threw her fist into the wall that the two shinobi stood upon, demolishing the structure. Orochimaru and Kabuto escaped to the safety of the trees, but Tsunade was already there, bringing her leg down to take off the branch they were situated on. Her swinging foot almost hit Kabuto in the face, but he moved just in time and the two began running, jumping over the wall of the village.

"Selûne! You take care of Kabuto. I'll handle Orochimaru," Tsunade said, taking a rock and crushing it in her bare hand.

"Yes Tsunade-sensei!" It was time for battle!

* * *

Unfortunately for Tsunade, Kabuto wasn't letting her anywhere near Orochimaru so she settled for fighting Kabuto alongside her student. She ran at Kabuto and threw a punch, hitting the ground and causing it to explode. The man landed on a nearby boulder as Tsunade caught her breath.

"Out of breath already Tsunade? Well none of us are getting any younger. Time to finish it Kabuto."

Selûne was waiting for her moment to strike. When she saw Kabuto making hand signs, she made her move. She threw multiple kunai and shuriken at him, but he saw it. He had managed to complete the jutsu in time and chakra scalpels formed. One kunai managed to scratch his arm while a shuriken embedded itself in his shoulder, but he wasn't slowed. He disappeared in a cloud of rocks as the boulder exploded. However, instead of coming for Selûne, he went for Tsunade. He came up through the ground where her sensei was, but the Sannin caught it and jumped out of the way in time, throwing a punch. The man dodged it, but Tsunade came after him again, this time using her powerful legs to smash through rock. Selûne watched as Tsunade came back for a counterattack, but Kabuto surprised her. He appeared behind Tsunade and touched her arm and thigh. Her teacher's arm came around in an arc and hit Kabuto, throwing him back.

'_No way, a hit like that would have obliterated him! Wait, his chakra scalpels of course! He must have weakened her muscles so that she can't use her incredible strength!'_

She saw Tsunade chop Kabuto in the back of the neck. _'Yeah! Go Tsunade-sensei!'_

Kabuto tried to get up as Tsunade fell to her knees and coughed, but his whole body wouldn't respond. Selûne looked over to where Orochimaru was standing, watching the whole fight. Kabuto wasn't there to protect him. This was her chance!

She ran at Orochimaru, her kunai in hand. The Sannin turned and quickly blocked her attack with his sword.

'_What the..? His sword is…in his mouth? What the hell is he?'_

"Insignificant little child, this is an adult battle, not children's games!"

The Amakura's eyes narrowed before she closed them, willing the chakra to accumulate in her eyeballs. Her eyes shot open, her irises now glowing golden. Orochimaru chuckled when he saw this change.

"Well now…and I thought that she was the only one with those creepy eyes."

Selûne drew in a sharp breath. "She?"

"Why, you must know her don't you? She talks about you so much….Selûne Amakura."

'_Mayu…'_

"You know where Mayu Amakura is, don't you? Tell me before I rip your tongue out of your mouth!" she screamed, her eyes flashing. Orochimaru merely smirked, his snake eyes piercing hers.

"I haven't seen that arrogant little harpy for nearly two years ever since I bestowed the curse seal upon her. I know eventually she will seek me out for the promise of more power. I can give you power. I know of the hatred you have for your dear sister. Only through me can you defeat her."

Selûne's breath hitched. Power….the chance to kill Mayu…and all she needed to do was submit to Orochimaru? It seemed so simple and yet at the same time…her eyes furrowed into an angry expression.

"NEVER! I won't become your pawn so that you can use me for your own benefit! No one uses me!"

Selûne brought her leg around in a roundhouse kick to Orochimaru's head, nailing him squarely in the face. The Sannin was thrown back against a large rock, a groan escaping him.

'_This is my chance. I will eliminate Orochimaru!'_

Selûne made her way toward the fallen shinobi, stopping before him. He looked up at her, his eyes still holding that arrogant glint to them.

"This is the end, Orochimaru. Now you will see what made the Amakura clan one of the most powerful in the Leaf Village."

Selûne closed her eyes, her hands coming up to make signs. "Secret Jutsu, Body Snatch!"

Her eyes shot open, their depths swirling in a mix of gold and red. Orochimaru's body stiffened as he saw his flesh begin to slowly inch its way off his body, traveling to the young kunoichi and absorbing into her.

"No….not even….not even Mayu Amakura could do this! What….what are you doing!?"

Selûne's golden eyes were ice cold as she watched his flesh slowly melt off his body. "You may think that I'm weak since I do not possess the same prowess as Mayu yet, but I possess powers that Mayu herself would only dream of having. Because of what she did, I was able to turn half of my chakra into offensive chakra and change it to where I can turn my medical jutsu, the jutsu I use to save lives, into jutsu where I can also take lives. Brutal or humane, I can do it all. Just for you Orochimaru, I shall have the pleasure of stripping the flesh from your bones and adding your chakra to mine! Prepare to di-" Selûne stopped short, feeling a strange sensation come over her body. It was then that she noticed it.

A kunai had penetrated her chest. She choked and looked over her shoulder to see Kabuto, who had recovered from Tsunade's attack.

'_I let my anger get the best of me…damn it! I should have seen that coming!' _

"Selûne!" Naruto's voice rang out.

'_Naruto…you came…'_

Her jutsu cut off, Orochimaru was able to recover and get back up. Kabuto withdrew the kunai from her chest, the wound and internal damage knitting itself back up almost instantly. Orochimaru saw this and stopped.

'_So she has the same ability as Mayu Amakura. Kabuto was able to copy Amakura's technique, but due to the fact that it is their Kekkei Genkai to heal themselves almost instantly, it takes more out of him than it does them. She could be a valuable asset.'_

With that thought, Orochimaru's neck shot out, aiming straight for the Amakura's neck. Before he could reach it and bite her, her hand had shot out and grabbed him just under his chin.

"Don't…even think about it, you filthy snake!" Her voice was low and deadly, her eyes glowing a mix of red and gold. Orochimaru's breath hitched in his throat. Her eyes were filled with so much hatred it would put Sasuke to shame.

'_She will be useful later on.'_

Her hand tightened on his throat and she drew her arm back, throwing his neck along with his body.

"Lord Orochimaru!" Kabuto's voice rang out as he ran past her to the Sannin.

Selûne ran back to where Tsunade was sitting on the ground, her entire body shaking. "Tsunade-sensei?" She then noticed the blood splattered on the blonde woman's face.

'_She hates blood…is it hers?'_

"Selûne…I want you to take care of four-eyes over there. Shizune, Naruto…watch over Tsunade. I'll take care of Orochimaru," Jiraiya said.

"Alright, but you better eliminate him for good, pervy sage," she said.

"How about we get this thing started then? Selûne, you remember how to do the Summoning Jutsu correct?"

"I do, why do you ask?"

"I believe it's time to bring them out," Jiraiya said, a grin spreading across his face. Selûne nodded. "Right!"

The next few seconds were a blur. Selûne bit her thumb, spread the blood over her palm quickly before the small wound sealed and made the hand signs.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

On Orochimaru's side, two enormous snakes appeared. Selûne's animal, a beautiful white wolf, rose up with her on top of its head. Jiraiya's animal….was a small orange toad.

"Hey what's up!?"

"Whaaaaa!? What're you doing here!? Where's your father!?" Both Jiraiya and Naruto were freaking out.

'_Oh man. This isn't the time for shenanigans, Master Jiraiya.' _Selûne sighed, resting her cheek in her hand.

"Still playing the fool I see, Jiraiya. You were always ridiculous, but you've outdone yourself this time," Orochimaru laughed.

"Summoning Jutsu!" This time it was Naruto. Selûne drew in a sharp breath.

'_But the Summoning Jutsu is an extremely advanced jutsu. There's no way Naruto could have mastered it already!'_

A small pudgy little toad was what Naruto had summoned. He starely dumbly at it for a minute before throwing a fit. "Awww where did I go wrong!? I was so sure I had it down by now!?"

"Enough of this! Let's begin!" The snakes that Orochimaru and Kabuto were on moved. Orochimaru's moved toward the shinobi on the ground and Kabuto's came at Selûne.

"Get ready Okami!" Selûne shouted to her familiar.

The giant wolf dodged the snake's gaping maw and caught it in its jaws, biting down and severing the head from the body. The snake disappeared with an explosion that knocked Selûne off Okami to the ground. She landed on her feet and turned just in time to avoid Kabuto's chakra scalpel. The snake that Orochimaru was on came at the group and caught Naruto in its jaws.

"Naruto, no!" Selûne yelled as she jumped high into the air, her hands glowing with chakra.

"You should pay more attention to me!" Kabuto yelled as he jumped before her, kicking her square in the stomach and knocking her back to the ground.

"Ninja Art, Dark Swamp!"

The ground dissolved into a quicksand-like hole and the snake that Naruto had been swallowed by sunk into it, caught in Jiraiya's jutsu. Kabuto had run off to fight Shizune and Selûne was left to pull herself out of the muck.

Naruto struggled against the snake as he forced its mouth open. "I'm not letting you eat me a second time!" He jumped out, but the snake reared its head and pounded Naruto, slamming him into a nearby boulder. Naruto cried out in pain and lay still.

"Naruto, no!" Selûne ran to aid the fallen genin, placing her hands on his cheeks and pouring chakra into him.

'_At this rate, I won't have anymore chakra left. I need to conserve it…'_

Naruto stirred and opened his eyes. Selûne smiled. "Naruto…thank goodness you're alright."

"Thanks to you, Se-chan!" He grinned widely, all his teeth showing.

'_What a knuckle-head.'_

A shrill scream tore through the air. "Tsunade-sensei!"

Selûne jerked around and what she saw made her blood boil. Kabuto was beating her sensei around. He pulled back his fist and aimed for Tsunade's forehead.

"NOOOOO!"

Both her and Naruto dashed at the man, Naruto appearing in front of Tsunade to take the punch and Selûne striking Kabuto with a well placed chakra scalpel on his chest, cutting his intercostals. Kabuto fell to his knees and Naruto began gathering his chakra in his hand to create a perfect sphere.

'_What is that? Is that a new jutsu Naruto learned?'_

"You _bitch!_" Kabuto yelled, striking Selûne's neck. She cried out and fell to the ground. Kabuto then turned his attention to Naruto, who was about to hit him with the Rasengan. His scalpel flared and he touched Naruto's thigh, causing the young genin to falter and fall to the ground.

Kabuto was saying something, but Selûne couldn't hear him. He had cut off her senses of sound and sight temporarily. She made hand signs and placed her hands on her ears, restoring her sight and sound to see Kabuto rushing at two Narutos with a kunai.

"Naruto! Move! Get out of the way! Stop trying to protect me!" Tsunade was yelling.

Naruto smirked as he caught Kabuto's kunai. "I…until I become Hokage, no matter what happens, I am not going to die!"

Kabuto was caught. "Okay, let's see you dodge me this time! Here goes!"

Naruto's clone began to channel chakra into the palm of the real Naruto's hand to create the Rasengan.

'_It's different from before. There's more power to it!'_

Naruto brought the sphere of chakra crashing into Kabuto's abdomen.

"RASENGAN!"

Kabuto was thrown back a considerable distance and slammed into a large rock. The ground was torn up from where the path of the Rasengan had been to the large spiral shape in the rock that had been created.

'_So powerful….Naruto…you're amazing!'_

It was then that Naruto coughed blood.

"Naruto! What's wrong!?" Selûne ran to aid him. He teetered for a moment on his feet, then fell back to the ground. She gasped and dropped to her knees next to him. Tsunade appeared opposite her on the other side of Naruto. His breathing had become shallow and labored.

Kabuto meanwhile had gotten back up and started taking small painful steps toward the two kunoichi.

"How can you be standing after such an attack?" Tsunade questioned.

"I focused my chakra at the point of impact, healing myself before his attack. Now you see why Lord Orochimaru values me so highly not just for my skill in jutsu, but also for my regenerative powers. It seems Naruto is finished though. He doesn't have the gift of regeneration." Kabuto continued taking steps toward them when he suddenly stopped, blood leaking from the corners of his mouth. He fell to his knees and faceplanted into the dirt.

"Well that takes care of him for a while…" Selûne muttered as she put her ear to Naruto's chest, but gasped.

"Tsunade-sensei! His heartbeat stopped!"

Tsunade's eyes widened and she crouched back down to inspect Naruto, placing her hands over his chest.

"His heart muscles have been torn to shreds, but how? Wait…of course. The moment before they separated, he must have struck at Naruto's heart!" Tsunade explained, her eyes wide with fear. Her finger glowed with chakra and she sliced Naruto's shirt vertically until his bare chest was exposed. She turned to Selûne.

"Selûne, I need your help. Help me to channel chakra into Naruto to heal his heart!" Selûne nodded and placed her hands over Tsunade's, chakra flowing from both kunoichi into the genin.

"It's no use. With my last strength, I cut his heart's chakra network, cutting him off from getting any help from the Nine-Tailed Fox in him. He's finished. All your skills are useless!"

"SHUT UP!" Both kunoichi yelled at Kabuto.

"You'll be dead soon enough, I'll see to that," Tsunade said, her voice filled with anger. Even as they poured chakra into Naruto, Selûne noticed something.

"Tsunade-sensei, he's stopped breathing!"

Tsunade stiffened, her eyes filling with tears. "No…no!"

Selûne's eyes glistened with tears and soon they fell down her cheeks as well as Tsunade's, falling upon the seal on Naruto's stomach.

"Naruto, don't die! Don't die! DON'T DIE!" Tsunade's voice was almost to a scream now.

Selûne's breath hitched at what she saw. Naruto's hand slowly came up and gripped the necklace around Tsunade's neck. "Hey, don't forget about our bet…told ya I'd win…"

'_Naruto…'_

Selûne's heart welled up with emotion. Naruto was alive. She and Tsunade had managed to save him!

"To become Hokage…" Tsunade whispered, taking Naruto's hand in hers and healing the deep gash between his fingers. "That's your dream, isn't it?"

Selûne smiled, placing her hands on Naruto's chest and continuing to heal his injuries. "Tsunade-sensei, I'm almost out of chakra…"

Out of nowhere, Orochimaru appeared, his sword in his mouth, heading straight for….Naruto! Selûne gasped and moved to protect Naruto. She closed her eyes, anticipating the attack.

The sound of metal going through flesh was deafening to her ears, but Selûne felt no pain. Her eyes opened slowly and then widened.

Tsunade had moved to protect them both, Orochimaru's sword having gone through her chest. Orochimaru backed away, swallowing his sword with a lick of his tongue.

"Tsunade, you're the one person I wouldn't want to kill. If you let this boy live, he will cause more trouble than you could ever imagine. Let him die and spare yourself the trouble."

"No, you listen to me. If I do nothing else, I will protect this boy! Selûne, continue the healing! I will shield you from him until you are finished!" Tsunade commanded, turning her hazel eyes to the younger kunoichi.

Selûne nodded. "Yes Tsunade-sensei!" She set back to healing Naruto.

"Why would you, a Sannin, risk your life to save a lowly genin?"

"By saving him, I'm saving my home, the Village Hidden in the Leaves! This boy, this lowly genin has been chosen by fate to be Hokage someday," Tsunade said, her voice cracking.

"What nonsense! Who cares about the Hokage? Only a fool would want that job!" Orochimaru snorted.

Selûne tried to ignore the words he was saying to Tsunade, knowing that what he was saying was probably getting through to her sensei.

"For Naruto, I'll put my life on the line!"

"Well then, if you're willing to throw your life away for the sake of an insignificant brat, allow me to oblige you!" Orochimaru's sword shot out of his mouth and slashed Tsunade through her chest, the female Sannin falling to the ground.

"Tsunade-sensei!" Selûne shouted, now completely defenseless.

"Now all that's left is Naruto and the Amakura girl," Orochimaru laughed, advancing on them. Selûne steeled herself for the sword to cut through her, but Tsunade had moved, the sword instead going through her once more.

"You're really determined to protect these two. I'm impressed Tsunade," Orochimaru observed.

"Didn't I make myself clear? I'll die before I let you touch Naruto and Selûne!" Tsunade shouted.

"You're almost dead already!" Orochimaru yelled, kicking Tsunade to the side.

"Tsunade-sensei…please! You can't take much more of this! I can protect myself and Naruto!" Selûne said, her eyes tearing up at the sight of her sensei in such a beaten state.

"You're still trembling Tsunade. You can't seem to shake your fear of blood can you? Don't you see how pointless it is and for what? For the sake of this worthless boy and the village that you turned your back on so many years ago?" Orochimaru taunted, watching Tsunade as she shook on the ground.

Selûne kept her eyes on her work, watching Naruto's face as it cleared of any bruises or cuts. She just barely registered Tsunade's foot coming up and slamming into Orochimaru's jaw.

"I finally remembered something…" Tsunade began. "I've been chosen as the Fifth Hokage of the Leaf Village."

Orochimaru's eyes widened as he looked at Tsunade. Selûne couldn't see her teacher's face, but she knew something was happening. She watched as her sensei made signs and her hair hovered around her, a red aura appearing around her as her wounds instantly healed.

'_Tsunade-sensei! She's used her regeneration technique!'_

Tsunade had begun making hand signs again and Selûne immediately knew what was happening. She made her hand signs as well.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

All three Sannin had summoned their respective animals. Orochimaru's snake, Jiraiya's toad and Tsunade's slug faced each other. Selûne's wolf stood behind Tsunade's slug, ready to aid if necessary. Tsunade turned to Selûne.

"Selûne, take Naruto back to the outskirt village. Make sure you stay safe and we'll be back soon!"

"But Tsunade-sensei, I want to fight as well! Let me help you!" Selûne said. "It's not fai-"

"Now, Selûne! That's an order from your sensei."

"Yes, sensei…" Selûne said. "Let's go Okami!"

The white wolf turned from the battle and ran for the outskirt village. Before the forms of the Sannin and their animals disappeared from her sight, Selûne turned her head to look back.

'_Tsunade-sensei, be careful!'_


	7. Hot Spring Fun

_Okay since I'm practically killing myself from lack of sleep writing this, I should probably take a break from it...but then again...the muse is strong! Don't own Naruto yadda yadda yadda._

* * *

"From this day on, I shall protect the Hidden Leaf Village as the Fifth Hokage!"

Tsunade's voice rang out above the crowd. The people erupted in cheers and applause for the Sannin. Selûne stood a distance behind her with Jiraiya and the two elders of the village. It had been two days since the battle with Orochimaru and she was happy that Tsunade had come back alive.

Her sensei stood there at the balcony, looking proud. Selûne couldn't help but tear up. _'Tsunade-sensei, you're the best!'_

Tsunade turned and motioned for Selûne to come to her. Confused, the Sannin's student made her way to her teacher, revealing herself to the crowd. The blonde woman turned back to the crowd, looking over them once more before speaking to her.

"Selûne, I want you to be the head of the medic corps. Your bloodline and my teaching have prepared you for this honor. You are tasked with training new medic nin and running the hospital, understand?

"Yes sensei…but don't you feel I am too young for this? I am only seventeen after all," Selûne said, stopping short when Tsunade's hazel eyes glared at her, challenging her to question her decision. "I mean….whatever you say, sensei. It would be my pleasure."

Tsunade seemed pleased with that answer as she turned back to the crowd, her face beaming. Selûne looked at her sensei, pride welling in her chest. _'Tsunade-sensei needs a break.'_

"Tsunade-sensei, how about we go to the hot spring after this?"

The blonde chuckled at the question. "Sounds great. Let's go now, this is getting boring."

'_Only Tsunade-sensei…'_

Selûne turned to start walking off with Tsunade when her eye caught someone's. Sasuke was standing with Kakashi in the crowd, staring right back up at her with his arms crossed over his chest. A small smile graced his lips.

'_I never thought about it before, but Sasuke looks handsome when he smiles…' _Selûne blushed furiously. _'What am I thinking!? Oh Selûne, get a grip. He's more focused on revenge, it's not like Sasuke likes you more than just a sister.'_

"Selûne?" Tsunade called. The younger girl ran to her sensei, but unknown to her, the Uchiha in the crowd had seen the blush that had settled in her cheeks, his trademark smirk on his face.

* * *

"Oh man, I don't think I've ever been this relaxed!" Tsunade said as she sank into the steamy water.

"I feel like my worries have all gone away," Selûne sighed, up to her chin in the water. The two women sighed once more and leaned their heads against the rock ledge. Silence reigned in the room. Then...

"Selûne?" Tsunade said. "Why don't you tell me about Sasuke?"

"HUH!?"

Tsunade smirked, keeping her eyes closed when she knew her student was giving her a crazy look. "When I healed him in the hospital, what you said to him, there's more to your relationship with him, isn't there?"

Selûne's face was red, more from blushing than the heat of the water. "W-well…."

"Yeeeees?"

The young Amakura sighed. "Alright…I'll tell you."

* * *

_Tsunade sat by Sasuke's bedside, her hands folded on her lap. Selûne watched as Sasuke's face twitched and his eyes slowly opened, blinking the sleep out of them. Her heart swelled, seeing the Uchiha awake._

"_Sasuke…"_

_At the sound of his name, he turned his head to look at her, a small smile spreading across his face. _

"_Se-chan, thank Kami you're alright…I was afraid that Itachi had-" he broke off coughing. Tsunade handed him a glass of water and he drank it down thirstily. "I was afraid that Itachi had seriously hurt you."_

"_I'm fine. Tsunade-sensei helped me through the jutsu I was under. If it hadn't been for her, I would probably be insane by now," Selûne said, twisting the cloth of her pants in her hands. She bit her lip hard, drawing blood. "I was so weak…I can't believe I fell for Itachi's trap, but what he did surprised me. He told me it was not his intention to make me hate him, he preferred me to not hate him, right before he kissed me and then I don't remember anything after that."_

_Sasuke's body had stiffened, his hands fisted in the sheets. "He what!?" The tone of his voice was filled with anger. His Sharingan activated, his crimson eyes staring into blue eyes. "I'll kill the bastard!"_

_Selûne's eyes widened. She had never seen Sasuke this angry before. Then again she couldn't blame him. After what Itachi did, anyone would be like this if they were in Sasuke's position._

_Sasuke's hand lifted to curl around the back of her neck, bringing her closer to his face. She expected him to kiss her, but he only brought her to where his lips were against her ear. _

"_I swear to you I'll kill him, and when I do, I'll come back for you Selûne. This I promise to you." _

_Tsunade watched as her student's face turned an interesting shade of red, chuckling to herself. She stopped short when Selûne pulled away from Sasuke, looking him straight in the face. _

"_Sasuke…I promised you that we would always be together. I'll never break that promise, ever. I'll always be with you."_

_The Uchiha and the Amakura stared each other down before Sasuke leaned back in, wrapping his arms around Selûne, the kunoichi copying the movement._

'_This is touching.' Tsunade thought. 'There's more to this than meets the eye…'_

* * *

"Sooooo…taken a shining to the young Uchiha, have you Selûne?" Tsunade said, a smile on her lips.

"Whaaaaa? No! He's like my little brother! We've known each other when we were younger, there's nothing between us at all Tsunade-sensei…hehehe…" Selûne didn't sound too convinced herself. To be honest, she had taken a liking to Sasuke that was more than the relationship between brother and sister. She looked down at her reflection in the water.

'_Even so…Sasuke is still bent on revenge against Itachi and I know that he won't rest until he does kill him. I just wish that he would abandon his revenge because if he keeps letting it consume him, then he will turn to darkness and if that happens…I don't know if my heart could take it. It's selfish to want that, but after all I've lost…can't I be just a little selfish?'_

"Selûne, you okay? You're quiet," Tsunade said, looking over at her student. The younger kunoichi head shot up and nodded. "I'm okay, just thinking…"

"About Sasuke? Hmmm…maybe it's those hormones running wild." Tsunade's voice was teasing now. Selûne faceplanted into the ground.

"TSUNADE-SENSEI!"

Tsunade only laughed and was interrupted by the attendant carrying a tray of drinks. "Finally! Let's drink to the Leaf Village!"

Selûne stared at the small cup that Tsunade had pressed into her hands. The smell of alcohol reached her nose and her face scrunched up in distaste. Tsunade had already finished her drink and was now starting on another one.

"Come on Selûne, drink up. There's six drinks for each of us here."

'_Oh well…here goes nothing!'_

Selûne downed the drink in one gulp, the taste of the sake hitting her almost instantly. She coughed. "It's strong!"

Tsunade laughed again, taking her cup and giving her another. "Think of it as a repayment. You helped save my ass and in return, I'll get your ass stone cold drunk!"

"That sounds like a great way to pay me back, Tsunade-sensei…" Selûne said sarcastically, but she downed the drink. This time it didn't burn as much; it actually felt kinda good. "Another one please?"

After about thirty minutes, Selûne and Tsunade had dissolved into drunken giggles at a lame joke that Tsunade had told. The younger kunoichi's face was bright red from the influence of the alcohol, but her whole body felt like it was humming with pleasure. It felt so good!

There was a sound of low chuckling coming from the northern wall. Tsunade stopped and looked at the wall, her eyes glaring holes through it. The chuckling continued until someone whispered "oh Kami I think she noticed us, pervy sage!"

"NARUTO!" Selûne jumped up at the sound of her sensei's voice as Tsunade punched through the wall, effectively scaring Jiraiya and Naruto. The two shinobi sat on the ground, shaking in the shadow of Tsunade's rage when Jiraiya noticed the nude Amakura.

"Oh baby, I haven't seen a fine body like that in AGES! A thousand thumbs up!"

"Huh?" Selûne was confused until she looked down and saw that she was completely naked! "AHHHHHHH!" She threw herself back into the water. "YOU PERVERTED OLD MAN!"

* * *

With Tsunade being a seasoned drinker, she had sobered up somewhat and was dragging the still giggling Selûne towards Sasuke's apartment. After seeing her sensei beat the pervy sage and Naruto to a pulp, it was enough to keep her entertained for a while. When they had gotten dressed at the hot spring, Tsunade had suggested to take the young Amakura home since it was almost evening and she was in no condition to walk alone. After hearing that the girl lived with Sasuke, the Sannin smirked.

'_Well this will be interesting indeed.'_

Just a few paces from the door of Sasuke's apartment, it opened and the Uchiha stepped out. He stopped seeing the Sannin and the Amakura approaching him. Sasuke raised an eyebrow seeing Selûne giggling uncontrollably. "What's wrong with her?"

"Oh she just…_indulged_ a little too much is all," Tsunade said, her voice sweet. She moved Selûne's arm from around her shoulder and handed her off to Sasuke. "Make sure she doesn't get too…out of control, Sasuke." With that, the Hokage disappeared, leaving Sasuke with Selûne.

The Uchiha looked at the blushing girl, snorting at the expression on her face. He carried her back into the apartment and to the bed, laying her down on it. As soon as her body touched the mattress, she cuddled up to the pillow, hugging it and rubbing her face into it. Sasuke fought back the urge to laugh and sat next to her, watching her. When it looked like she had fallen asleep, he got up to lock the door. There was a swish behind him and he froze, feeling Selûne's arms wrapping around his neck and her warm breath in his ear.

"Sasukeee…."

The way she said his name sent a shock through his body straight to his groin. He was turned around and held to the door, the older girl pressing against his chest. Her beautiful blue eyes slowly opened and stared into Sasuke's onyx eyes. Sasuke's heart was beating hard against his ribcage.

'_Does she really feel the same way I do? Selûne, do you love me?'_

She was leaning in now, her lips close to his. Sasuke closed his eyes, anticipating the moment. He didn't have long to wait. Selûne's lips met his in a soft chaste kiss, her left hand coming up to thread through his spiky black hair. Sasuke buried his own hand in her light brown hair, pushing her lips hard into his in a more passionate kiss. He heard a low moan come from her and smirked against her lips. Pulling away for a moment, he picked her up in his arms like she weighed nothing and carried her back to the bed, laying her on it and climbing on top of her. Their lips met again as Sasuke held her tightly to him, his hands roaming her body. His eyebrows furrowed into a frown as he concentrated, willing his hands to pass over her hips and down in between her thighs.

"_Sasuke…"_ Her voice was low, lower than he'd ever heard it and it excited him greatly, giving him courage as his hand cupped her special place. Selûne gasped, the feeling increased tenfold by the alcohol in her system. Sasuke's fingers began to massage her there, causing shocks to travel her body. He went to kiss her again, this time using his tongue to open her lips and invade her mouth, tasting the slightest hint of sake still lingering there.

'_I don't care if she's inebriated right now, I may not get another chance like this again!'_

Sasuke found that Selûne wasn't responding to his advances. He pulled away confused…only to see that the Amakura was unconscious!

"What the…!? Damn it…so close…" Sasuke growled, the tightness in his pants becoming uncomfortable. He watched her sleeping face for a minute before he adjusted his boxers and drew her in next to him, holding her tightly as he too fell asleep, not noticing that the girl's arms moved to wrap around his neck in her sleep.

'_Itachi, I will kill you…and when I do, that'll be the day when my life will be complete.'_


	8. Sasuke and Selûne: The Promise

**_Well I've gotten better sleep, but still suffering from this illness :( blood in the mouth has never been fun. Please review and let me know what you think or Itachi will come for you (then again fangirls might like that :P). Don't own Naruto._**

* * *

Selûne woke up to a pounding headache, groaning softly as she held her head.

'_Okay note to self: never drink with Tsunade-sensei again!'_

She sat up in bed and looked around. She was home in Sasuke's apartment.

'_How did I get here? All I remember is sitting in the hot spring with Tsunade-sensei and then everything else was a blur.'_

She tried to raise her right hand, but found that it was entwined in something, that something turning out to be Sasuke's hand. The Uchiha was still asleep, his face surprisingly peaceful. Selûne smiled as she lay back down into the pillows, staring into his face. Her hand slowly came up and laid against his cheek. At this, Sasuke stirred and opened his black eyes to look at her. The two shinobi slowly smiled at each other, their hands tightening their grip on the other's.

"Good morning Sasuke," Selûne said, leaning in to kiss his forehead. Sasuke's face was surprised before he blushed deeply. "G-good morning."

The Amakura untangled her hand from his and got up from the bed, stretching her muscles. Sasuke's eyes rested on her firm backside as she made her way to the closet, pulling out a dark yellow short sleeve jumpsuit. After she had thrown it on in the bathroom, she came out to see Sasuke sitting on the bed staring at his hands. Something was wrong.

"Selûne…I want you to teach me your Soul Steal. It may be one of the only ways to kill Itachi." Sasuke's voice was calm, but Selûne could hear the hint of anger hidden underneath it.

"Sasuke, that jutsu is unique to my clan. Only someone with my kekkei genkai can perform it. While I may not be able to teach you that, I can however teach you a special technique I learned in the Land of Snow, one you've already seen."

"You mean the Crystal Clone Jutsu?" Sasuke asked. Selûne smiled and nodded. "It may not seem special at first, but it is very useful. The crystal used is tough and extremely difficult to break, therefore it makes your clones hard to beat. Along with teaching you this, I can attempt to teach you a jutsu that my sister taught me that is very useful in demolishing your opponents. It's called the Illusion of Souls. "

* * *

Out on the training field, Sasuke and Selûne stood facing each other. Selûne had taught Sasuke the basics of the Crystal Clone Jutsu and now he was going to test it out.

"Remember Sasuke, you need to shape the crystal to protect the vital points of the body. By doing this, you can keep your clone from being defeated more easily."

"Right."

Sasuke quickly formed the hand seals and the chakra burst from him to create three clones, all wearing the same smirk on their faces.

"Not bad Sasuke, but still…" Selûne dashed at him, knocking the real Sasuke back and facing the clones. Taking her katana out, she stabbed one in the chest, making it disappear. Another she sliced through the stomach, it too disappearing. The last one she kicked in the stomach and sliced through the neck, causing it to disappear as well.

"You didn't focus your chakra enough. In order for this jutsu to work, you need to shape the clones so that the vital points are protected! Simple attacks such as kicks, punches or even kunai and shuriken attacks will not work on these clones even when they are shabbily made, but if you create them the right way, it is almost impossible to destroy them unless you use chakra in an attack. Now try again!"

Sasuke's face was angry as he once again formed the hand signs, creating new clones. This time when Selûne went to plunge her katana into the chest of the nearest clone, her blade was deflected. The same went for the other two clones, who stood there smirking at the young girl.

"Good…you've gotten it down quicker than I thought you would. A jutsu like that is extremely advanced, even for someone of your level." Sasuke's face showed pride when she praised him, his eyes turning away from hers and his face turning a light shade of pink.

"Now…I think it's time I show you the Illusion of Souls. Stay close to me Sasuke."

The Uchiha got close until he was nearly pressing against Selûne's back. She made the hand signs and pressed her hands together, her eyes glowing golden.

"Secret Jutsu: Illusion of Souls!"

The sky grew dark and the air shimmered. Sasuke couldn't believe his eyes. All around them were spirits screaming, crying and moaning. Their ghostly arms were outstretched as if they were trying to grab on to something. For the first time in his life since the massacre and facing Orochimaru in the Forest of Death, Sasuke was frightened. The spirits had formed a circle around them which stretched to a 100 foot radius.

"This jutsu is nearly impossible to escape. If you get too close to the edge of the circle, those souls will grab you and your spirit will go to join them if you don't break free. Whatever you do Sasuke, do not look into their eyes. That's how they steal your spirit. Many shinobi have been killed by this jutsu and their spirits joined the mass. You cannot jump out of it either because they have also created a barrier over our heads. They're relentless and only one who can master the spirits can use this jutsu which is why I don't think I can teach it to you, Sasuke. The Amakura clan is notorious not only for our healing prowess, but also for our dealings with spirits. Our ancestor Miyako Amakura went to the netherworld herself to retrieve the spirit of her dead lover. She overcame the spirits and struck a deal with them and because she had defeated them so soundly, they were to serve the Amakura bloodline until the line died out. Many of the line have tried to master the spirits, but none have been able to…until now. My sister Mayu and I are the only ones who can command them and because of that, we wield great power."

Sasuke's eyes glittered. _'She has power…more power than I would ever dream of having.'_

Selûne released the jutsu and turned to Sasuke, her eyes hard. "I intend to make myself the only one who can command them. After Mayu is dead, I will rebuild my clan and continue the bloodline like Miyako had intended."

Her eyes were glowing gold now, her anger rising. "Mayu has been my source of contention for five years. As long as she lives, I can never think of leading a normal quiet life when she may strike at me once again someday. And after what Orochimaru had said…" Sasuke's eyes widened at the mention of the snake's name. "He placed his curse mark on her, so it's possible that she could be growing more powerful everyday until even I cannot defeat her."

Her fist clenched, her nails digging into her flesh and drawing blood. Sasuke watched the small trickles of blood run down her knuckles and fall to the ground.

"I'll die trying. Even if it means my death for Mayu to die, so be it."

Her head lifted and her eyes met Sasuke's. Her eyes were turning red as well as the blue tattoos on her face. Her body began glowing with a red aura, the stones at her feet beginning to shake. The Uchiha took a step back, his heart beginning to beat fast.

'_Her hatred is almost palpable. It puts mine to shame…Selûne has changed.'_

The ground began to shake and the Illusion of Souls was activated once more, the cries of the spirits reaching Sasuke's ears. He looked around at the faces of the dead before looking back at Selûne. Her eyes were completely red now, her face calm.

'_I need to reach her. Behind that mask of anger is the real Selûne, the kind gentle girl I've come to know. I know she's still there.'_

Sasuke made his way toward her and placed his hands on her shoulders, bowing his head. The kunoichi raised an eyebrow at his actions. He lifted his head and stared into her eyes, his Sharingan active.

"Forgive me Selûne, but this is for your own good."

Her eyes widened, her mind thrown back to the memory of her fighting Itachi.

"_You've gotten better Selûne. I could almost consider you a rival," Itachi said, putting more weight into his kunai. "Almost."_

"_You hurt Sasuke…I'll make you pay, Itachi!" she growled._

_He closed his eyes. "It was not my intention…to make you hate me. I would prefer you not hate me." Selûne froze._

"_What?"_

"_Forgive me Selûne, but this is for your own good." Itachi knocked the kunai from her hands and grabbed her by the back of her neck, bringing her closer to him. His other hand bound her wrists in front of her, keeping her from attacking. Her eyes widened as Itachi's face drew closer…closer…_

There was a sharp pain in her shoulder as Sasuke dug a kunai into the flesh there. She gasped and jumped away from him, the Illusion of Souls disappearing. The red aura had dissipated from around her, returning her to herself. Selûne cringed to herself. She had let her anger slip and now Sasuke had seen the darkness that hid in her. She fell to her knees, the wound in her shoulder closing up.

"Sasuke…forgive me. You weren't supposed to see that."

Sasuke stared down at the girl, unsure of what to do. After that show of power, the jealousy in his heart was at an all time high.

'_Why is it that everyone around me is getting stronger and I'm still so weak!? Maybe I should take the chance and go to Orochimaru. The promise of more power, the chance to kill Itachi…it's worth it. I will have to leave the village, leave everyone behind, maybe even hurt some people, but Selûne…she's the only reason I stay. I can't hurt her…'_

The sound of Sasuke's footsteps getting closer to her didn't faze Selûne from her position on the ground. Her head remained bowed, her bangs covering her eyes from his view. He stopped and crouched down before her, taking her chin in his hand and tilting it up so that their eyes could meet. There was a moment of silence between the two shinobi and then Sasuke sighed.

"Selûne, no matter what happens…I want you to know that I will come back for you. I promise you."

"What do you mean come back for me? Where are you going?" Selûne's face expressed confusion and Sasuke cringed at the sad look in her eyes.

"I'm leaving the village," he said after a moment. "I hate that I'm so weak while Naruto…" He stopped there, his teeth clenched in anger. "Naruto is getting more powerful. Our last mission, I was hurt by the enemy and taken out of battle while he…he managed to defeat them by himself using that technique. I don't know where he learned it, but it was extremely powerful and…it made me jealous. He was such a loser when we were in the academy and placed in squads, it made me happy knowing that he was weaker than me. But now…he's gotten more powerful and I'm still the same. Itachi told me I was weak, that I don't have enough hatred and that I never will. Only by going to Orochimaru can I gain that power and destroy him once and for all!"

"Sasuke, stop this right now! You can't go to him! All he wants is to use your body as his next vessel! If you go to him, he'll use you, then there'll be nothing left of you and…" She turned her face away, her eyes tearing up.

'_I don't think my heart could take it. Sasuke…if only you knew just how I felt.'_

Sasuke placed his hand on her cheek, turning her face to look into his eyes. "Selûne, I never break my promises. I **will** come back and when I do, we'll be together again."

Her eyes closed and the tears slipped down her cheeks. "Sasuke…to hear you say that, makes my heart hurt. Do what you must, but please…don't lose yourself to the idea of revenge. It'll end badly for you if you do."

Sasuke smiled and hugged her to him, hiding his glistening eyes from her view.

'_Selûne…I'll never let you go…ever…'_

'_Sasuke…'_

"Well, well…this is touching." A feminine voice purred. "I never thought of you with the younger Uchiha, Selûne."

The girl froze. _'No…'_

"I'm so happy to see you again Selûne. Now stand up and face me," the woman challenged as she hopped from her place in the tree and landed gracefully before the two. Sasuke moved away from Selûne as she stood up, moving to her side. The young Amakura's eyes narrowed in anger at the woman.

"Let's see how strong you've become," the woman said, her black and red cloak rippling in the breeze. Selûne clenched her teeth in anger. Her voice was a low hiss as she spoke.

"_Mayu…"_


	9. Mayu

_**I came across a really funny picture of Itachi over the Internet earlier and thought I'd put it as my avatar from now on. Just looking at it makes me laugh haha. Especially when Itachi's saying "Oh I'm so beautiful! I'm the cutest Akatsuki member who ever lived!" That made me laugh my butt off along with the expression on his face and just how he's drawn makes it even better. I don't own Naruto!**_

* * *

"_Mayu…wait up!"_

_The black haired kunoichi turned around to see the little brown haired girl running toward her, trying her best to keep up. _

"_Kami, Selûne. A slug could move faster than you!" Mayu said, her hands on her hips. "You know Mother and Father will be mad if we don't get back in time."_

"_I know, I know!" Selûne yelled, crossing her arms over her chest and pouting. "You promised to show me how to do the Spirit Barrage today though!"_

"_Maybe some other time Selûne. We need to get home." _

_Selûne pouted even more. "You're such a liar, ane…"_

_Mayu gave her a guilty smile, tweaking her sister's nose lightly. "Like I said, some other time. I promise I'll show you, now let's just get home okay?"_

"_Alright, but you owe me big time!" Mayu laughed before stepping closer to her little sister and bending down to her level._

"_Oh and Selûne, love you imoto," Mayu said, pinching her sister's arm. "You're it!"_

_Selûne smiled and ran after her. "I'm gonna get you for that, ane!"_

* * *

"_Mayu…"_

Selûne's voice was a low growl as she faced her elder sister. "You have a lot of nerve, how dare you show your face around here like this after what you did!"

Mayu smirked, throwing her cloak off of her, revealing bandages wrapped around her legs all the way down to her ankles, black shorts and a black top. Her forehead protector was tied around her narrow waist. "I've always been the one with guts, Selûne. You of all people should know that."

Selûne's fist clenched. "You've put yourself in a bad situation, Mayu. You came to me, which makes it easier for me to kill you!" With that, she dashed at her sister, her katana drawn. The elder Amakura's katana flashed as it blocked her sister's.

Selûne glared into the golden eyes of her sister, the hatred threatening to overwhelm her. Mayu simply stared back, an evil grin on her face. "Mistake number one Selûne, you came within my range."

Mayu's clone appeared from the ground, grabbing Selûne's ankles and keeping her where she stood.

'_No…I can't get free!'_

Selûne could only watch as her sister leaned closer to her, her golden eyes now only inches from hers

"Secret Jutsu: Spirit Kiss." With that, Mayu kissed Selûne's forehead.

Pain shot through Selûne when Mayu pulled away. She held her head in pain as the spirit that had been transferred to her by Mayu wreaked havoc on her body.

'_It hurts…but I need to expel it and soon. If not, it will kill me!'_

Selûne forced herself to calm down and search her body for the little spirit to determine its type.

'_There!'_

She took her hand, burning with green chakra, and pressed it to her chest. Sasuke watched in horror as her hand sunk into her chest, making a sick sucking sound. Blood poured from the wound, but Selûne didn't stop. She withdrew her hand after a moment, holding a squirming spirit in her hand which she crushed, sending it back to the spirit realm. Her chest closed up immediately.

"Well imoto, I have to give you credit. You've gotten better," Mayu said. Selûne growled and did a backflip, landing next to Sasuke.

"Sasuke, get out of here. I don't want you getting caught up in this," she said, her eyes trained on her sister.

"No. I'm not going to let you do this alone! There's no way I'm lea-"

"SASUKE!" Selûne yelled. He stopped, his face expressing shock. Selûne had never yelled at him like that. She turned to him, a small smile on her lips.

"The reason I want you to run is because I don't want you to get hurt. If you try to interfere, Mayu **will** kill you. She won't hesitate to cause me more pain by destroying you, so I'm begging you. Please run."

Sasuke hesitated for a minute, then nodded. "Alright, but don't you die on me. If you do, let's just say I **will **master that jutsu of yours and rip your spirit from that wall myself!"

Selûne nodded, a smile on her face. "I'll take your word for it."

"I'm waiting imoto," Mayu said, tapping her foot impatiently. Sasuke disappeared and Selûne faced her sister once more.

"I'm not the same little girl you knew, Mayu. I promised myself that I would not rest until I kill you, that I will gladly die if it means killing you. Now I will make it happen!"

Selûne formed hand signs and summoned four crystal clones. "I know a jutsu that even you don't know, Mayu. I hope you're ready to die!"

Her clones rushed at Mayu, but the elder Amakura simply sliced at them. She smirked, then gasped when the clones didn't disappear. "What!?"

Two clones held her legs while the other two held her arms, keeping her locked in place. Mayu glared as her little sister walked toward her, making signs. "This is for our family…"

Selûne's eyes closed and reopened, revealing eyes that swirled with gold and crimson. "Secret Jutsu: Body Snatch!"

Mayu gasped, watching as her flesh began to melt off her body and crawl to Selûne, absorbing into her body. "Watch as the flesh is stripped from your bones, ane. Suffer…like I have suffered all these years."

Mayu's surprised look quickly changed to one of amusement. "Did you really think I'd let myself be caught so easily, Selûne?"

There was a swish of air behind her and Selûne's eyes widened. "Think again." Mayu whispered into her ear before bringing her fist up to Selûne's face. The younger girl quickly turned around and caught her hand before it could strike. Mayu grinned. "When are we going to get down to business, Se-Ne?"

Selûne's face darkened as she threw her sister off her, her clones and Mayu's disappearing. "Very well. Let's go!"

The sisters bit their thumbs and spread the blood over their palms before quickly making hand signs.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

Clouds of smoke filled the air as the two sisters rose up on their respective animals, Selûne's white wolf and Mayu's black panther. The sisters glared hatefully at each other before drawing their katanas and charging at each other.

* * *

Back at the Hokage's office, Tsunade was reading a book on surgery when she felt the sudden urge to look out the window. She gasped, seeing an enormous black panther in the distance and a familiar white wolf.

"Selûne!"

Tsunade ran out of the office and to the building of the ANBU Black Ops. Bursting through the doors, she yelled. "I want every available ANBU out to the training field. Mayu Amakura has returned!"

* * *

The sound of clashing metal resounded throughout the training field as the sisters clashed, katana meeting katana. The Amakuras were in a stalemate, none of them being able to land a hit on the other. Finally after another clash of swords, Selûne gathered chakra into her mouth and blew Mayu back to her animal. Mayu landed hard on her back, blood trickling down the side of her mouth.

'_I didn't hit her that hard. How can she be bleeding?'_

"You have gotten stronger Selûne…" Mayu said, slowly getting to her feet. "But how strong, I wonder?"

Selûne's teeth clenched and her wolf tensed as well, sensing his mistress's anger. Making hand signs, Selûne felt the chakra course through her as spirit power raged in her.

"Wind Style: Spirit Hurricane!"

She opened her mouth in a soundless scream, a huge gust of wind racing towards the elder Amakura. Mayu stood there, her eyes solemn.

'_Selûne, I never thought that you would get this strong. You have truly mastered the spirits, haven't you?'_

When the wind hit her, Mayu simply stood there. Even though the spirits in the wind tore at her flesh, she stood there, her eyes closed. Her panther didn't copy her actions, being torn up by the jutsu. It disappeared, causing Mayu to fall to the ground. Before her feet touched the ground, Selûne appeared behind her, kicking her square in the back. Mayu fell to the ground and didn't move, Selûne standing over her panting.

'_Something's not right. Mayu isn't this easy to beat.'_

"Surprise!" Mayu appeared behind her and punched her, throwing Selûne back against a tree. Selûne's back hit the tree and the wind was knocked out of her momentarily. As she struggled to catch her breath, a kunai embedded itself into her hand, nailing her to the tree.

"Ah!" Another kunai nailed her other hand into the wood. Selûne sagged against the tree, the pain radiating through her body.

Mayu approached, her golden eyes cold. "This is the end, Selûne."

Her eyes closed for a moment. Selûne froze.

'_Not that…!'_

The elder Amakura's eyes shot open, the golden irises piercing her sister's. From the eye contact, a thin red line appeared. Selûne could feel her body beginning to weaken.

'_This is it…I'm going to die like my parents and Nobutoshi…this can't be the end…'_

Her eyes were getting heavy. She felt like she wanted to sleep…

"Selûne!"

Her eyes shot open. Sasuke!

"Selûne, don't you die on me! Not now, not ever!" he yelled, his hands moving quickly. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

Fire raced toward Mayu, who dodged it just in time, but it broke the connection between her and Selûne. Mayu turned to face the young Uchiha, who stood there with an expression of fury on his face.

"Go away kid. This is between the adults, so go and play with your little toys," Mayu said, her golden eyes glaring. Sasuke's teeth clenched.

"You hurt Selûne and you deal with me!" He rushed at Mayu, his kunai in hand. "Die!"

Blood flew and Sasuke's eyes widened. Mayu had grabbed his hand, but the kunai had gone through her hand. She didn't seem fazed by it.

"So you're the one Orochimaru wants? I can't fathom what he'd want with a little squirt like you. Your brother would've been better for him unlike you."

Sasuke trembled with rage. His right hand curled and it glowed with the power of the Chidori.

"Don't you mention him to me ever again!" Sasuke brought his fist up to hit Mayu in the face. Her face turned the other way, blood flying from her mouth. His attack sent her flying back into a large boulder, her back hitting the surface causing it to crack. Sasuke panted heavily, staring at the fallen woman.

'_That attack took a lot out of me, more so than usual…'_

"Selûne…" He turned to look back at the younger Amakura. She stood against the tree, her eyes half-lidded and for a moment, Sasuke's heart stopped.

'_What was it that her sister used on her? She seems so broken…'_

Mayu slowly got to her feet, her face in unbelievable pain. "Chidori huh? I guess Kakashi Hatake was your sensei then, hmm? Only he would have an attack as weak and futile as that."

Sasuke flinched when Mayu appeared right behind him, a smirk on her face. "I guess the great Uchiha clan isn't as powerful as I thought they were."

She grabbed Sasuke's wrist, the wrist that Itachi had broken and squeezed hard. A resounding crack was heard as Sasuke's wrist broke. The Uchiha screamed.

* * *

Selûne lay against the tree, her body weak and defenseless. Every nerve in her body screamed for sleep, to just relax and let the darkness take her. Her eyes closed, her mind racing.

'_I never thought that Mayu would go that far as to use Raifudorein on me. Who are you kidding Selûne? She killed your family with it so of course she's going to use it on you!'_

It was a powerful attack, that was for sure. It could even rival Itachi's Tsukuyomi, but instead of torturing slowly and painfully, it killed. She clenched her teeth.

'_I'm still too weak…I need to get stronger. Miyako, hear my plea. Help me to get stronger. Help me to defeat Mayu!'_

A scream ripped through her mind and her eyes shot open. Sasuke!

"Sasuke!"

Selûne found renewed strength as she tore her hands through the kunai, freeing herself from the tree. Her hands quickly healed, leaving no traces of scarring. She looked in Sasuke's direction and cried out. Sasuke was on his knees before Mayu, his head bowed. Mayu held his wrist tightly in her hand, the bone sticking out of the skin.

'_She broke his wrist!'_

Mayu unsheathed her katana and rested it against Sasuke's neck, keeping her eyes on her sister. Selûne's breath hitched.

'_No! It was a dream, only a dream! It can't come true!'_

"Mayu…no…please don't." Her voice came out in a choked cry as she advanced slowly toward her sister. Mayu's face was cold and devoid of any emotion as she dug the tip of the sword into the Uchiha's neck. Sasuke cried out, blood running down his neck and disappearing into his shirt.

"NO!"

Selûne ran at her sister, but the other person who came up behind Mayu was quicker. Her foot slammed into Mayu's side, throwing the kunoichi against the rocks again.

"Tsunade-sensei!"

Tsunade stood there, her face an expression of fury as she advanced on the elder Amakura. "You dare to return here, Mayu Amakura? You're a wanted criminal!"

Mayu stood, staring down the Hokage. "I'm the least of your worries, old lady. Someone is coming back and when they do, the Village Hidden in the Leaves will be utterly destroyed."

Tsunade took a step back, her eyes wide. "Who is it that you're talking about!?"

Mayu snorted. "Like I'd tell you."

At that moment, a large group of ANBU appeared, surrounding the elder Amakura. Mayu stood there, her face expressionless.

"I don't have time for this. I'll be back Selûne and when I do, we'll finish this without any interruptions."

Mayu dissolved in a whirlwind of feathers, leaving the shinobi standing there. Selûne sighed heavily, her body weakened from her sister's attack. Sasuke was still on his knees, holding his broken wrist.

"Sasuke…I told you to run away," she said, taking his wrist in her hands. Green chakra glowed and Sasuke's wrist was healed, the bones sinking back into the skin and knitting back up. Sasuke sat there staring at the ground.

"Hn."

"Sasuke…I'm sorry. I just didn't want you getting hurt is all. I appreciate you saving me from Mayu, but she could've easily killed you. If-"

"What was that jutsu she used on you? The one that almost killed you?" Sasuke interrupted, his eyes still not moving. "I've never seen anything like it."

"It was Raifudorein, the Life Drain. It's a jutsu unique to the Amakura clan that is pretty self explanatory. When eye contact is made, the life force of the opponent is drained from them and added to the wielder, making them stronger. It's what makes our clan one of the most powerful because when we use the Raifudorein on enough victims, our chakra level grows and grows."

"Can you teach it to me?" Sasuke's head finally moved so that he was looking directly into her eyes. Selûne sighed.

"Sasuke, it's unique only to the Amakura line. Like your Sharingan, Mayu and I are the only ones who can use it. It's one thing that even the Sharingan can't copy because you have to have the Hira no Seishin in order to wield it."

"Is there a way for me to be able to acquire the Hira no Seishin?"

Selûne's eye twitched. This Uchiha was relentless!

"Sasuke, for the last time, it is UNIQUE to my bloodline. While I do have jutsu outside of the bloodline that I can teach to you, it is impossible for you to learn our clan's jutsu. I can't learn Sharingan because I am not of the Uchiha clan. Be content that you have that. If you work hard at it, I'm sure that your Sharingan will become more powerful than Itachi's."

"Hn." Sasuke huffed. He stood up and shoved his hands into his pockets, staring at the Amakura. Her dark blue eyes stared back at him.

"Selûne." Tsunade appeared behind her. "You'll need to come with me. After that battle, I'm sure any second you will collapse."

"Tsunade-sensei, I'm okay really. Thanks to Sasuke, he cut Mayu off before she could actually drain me fully." Selûne turned her eyes back to Sasuke, whose cheeks were tinged pink. She smiled, patting Sasuke on the shoulder.

"Thank you Sasuke."

She kissed him on the cheek, causing the pink in Sasuke's cheeks to evolve into a full blown blush.

"Fine. Just make sure you get rest. After this ordeal, you'll need it," Tsunade said before she disappeared. The Amakura turned back to Sasuke.

"I guess you won't have to rip me from the wall now huh?" she joked.

Sasuke smirked at her. "Now where were we?"


	10. Accident! The Pain in Sasuke's Heart!

_***singing and dancing* On a roll, on a roll, on a roll. AWWWWW YEAHHHHH! For days I've done nothing but read off the chapter names which gives me inspiration for the plot of the story! THERE IS A POINT AND PLOT TO THIS STORY BY THE WAY! It'll pretty be like one of those 'what the hell' plots, like 'I didn't even see that coming'! I don't own Naruto! And thanks to Apathetic Devotion for reviewing! Uchiha cookies for you ^^**_

* * *

"Gah! I HATE this job!"

A voice rang out through the hall of the hospital coming from the head medic's office, then a resounding thud. Selûne had smacked her head against the desk, ignoring the pain that accompanied it. It had been nearly a week after her near-death experience with Mayu and now she was going to die because of this boredom!

'_What a fitting end!'_

Nothing really happened at the hospital to warrant her attention. Selûne began to wonder if Tsunade had placed her there just to bore her to death. She lifted her head and rested her face in her hands, staring down at the wood of the desk.

"In all my years of medic training, was it just for this?" she asked herself.

"_Selûne, I'm going to show you how to wield a chakra scalpel. Now with this, you can use it for surgical incisions without creating an open wound which cuts down the risk of infection. Along with being a tool for medicine, it can also be used in battle, but you need great precision in order to be effective which is why I don't recommend you use it in combat. If you feel you need to however, it is useful in slowing your opponents down for a short period of time. Now, let's see if you got it."_

_The young kunoichi nodded and made her hand signs. Tiger, Horse, Rabbit, Rat, Dog. Her hands then glowed with blue chakra. Her sensei nodded approvingly. _

"_Now let's try it on this rat."_

There was a commotion in the hallway that pulled Selûne from her memory. Curious to see what was going on, she poked her head out the door to see several nurses and doctors carrying someone on a stretcher. One of the doctors noticed her.

"Director, we need your assistance!"

'_Aw man…I thought this would be a nice quiet day as usual. I just want to get home and relax.' _Selûne walked behind the group as they entered an open room and placed the patient on the bed. When the group parted to let her through, her heart stopped.

"Sasuke?"

The Uchiha looked like he had been beaten to hell. His arm was in a sling and his face was bruised heavily. He looked at her, a dead look in his eyes.

"Sasuke, what happened? This is the second time you've been in the hospital the past two weeks."

Sasuke didn't answer her; he turned his head to stare at his hands. The medic sighed, her hands beginning to glow with green chakra. "Hold still."

* * *

Even though Selûne had healed him of his injuries, Sasuke couldn't get over what had happened. He had told her that he had been injured on a mission yet again and that Naruto had to rush in to save the day.

'_And my sorry ass…'_

Selûne had been completely understanding as she listened to him. When he had stopped unexpectedly when speaking of Naruto, his hands fisting the sheets of his hospital bed, she had placed her hand on top of his. Her hand was warm and soft compared to his calloused, tough skin. What she said next hit his heart.

"_Sasuke, sometimes even the best ninja get hurt. Just because you got hurt a few times doesn't mean that you're weak. Take from what has happened and learn from it. When you do that, you will gain an advantage in battle because you're more prepared."_

Sasuke had stared into her eyes, his own black eyes wide with wonder. Despite that Selûne was only seventeen, she was kind and wise. His heart went out to her in his eyes, watching as she smiled at him, her face shining brightly. She leaned in and kissed him lightly on the cheek, causing the young Uchiha to blush. He watched her as she got up and walked to the door. Before she had left, she turned back to him and smiled once more.

"_By the way Sasuke, you're still the best shinobi in my book."_

Those words had hit him hard. As long as she believed he was…but then he thought of Naruto.

'_That loser…he's had to save my ass more than I have.'_

Sasuke closed his eyes, clenching the sheets as the words of that man snaked into his mind.

"_I see the stories are true. I'd always heard that the last of the great Uchiha clan was a hopeless loser unworthy of his family name."_

"You must be hungry Sasuke." He didn't even notice that Sakura had been here until she spoke. She sat close to him, wringing her hands in her clothes. "Is there something special you'd like to eat? Well, I'll go fix something up for you."

She left the room, closing the door behind her quietly. Sasuke didn't move his eyes from his hands. The sound of children playing outside reached his ears and he looked up, staring at the wall. His teeth clenched in anger and he threw himself back against the pillows, resting his head on his hands. He stared up at the ceiling for a moment before turning on his side to stare out the window at the beautiful sky. Even as he watched, the image of his brother appeared in the clouds.

'_Go away, you don't interest me at the moment.'_

'_Naruto is the one you're really after.' _Jiraiya's voice joined the voice of his brother in his mind.

Sasuke's eyes watered, the anger in him boiling. Why was Naruto so sought after? Why did everyone ignore him when he was the last of a great clan? He was supposed to be better! He was supposed to be the one everyone praised, not Naruto! That loser was just…a loser! He closed his eyes, hoping to find peace in sleep, but after only a few minutes he heard footsteps in the hall and he shot up in bed, glaring at the door.

"Hey Sakura, I'm here!"

Sasuke's teeth clenched.

'_Naruto!'_

* * *

Selûne sat at her desk, tapping her pencil against the pad she had out in front of her. Being the hospital's head medic was so boring! Naruto and Sakura had come in just a few minutes ago, wanting to say hi and see Sasuke. Sakura had expressed her admiration of the young Amakura at being head medic while Naruto had been slowly inching toward Selûne's lunch, but Sakura had punched him over the head effectively stopping him. Selûne had to laugh. Those two were just so goofy.

'_They would make a good couple too…'_

Selûne stared down at the doodle she had done, although she didn't want to call it a doodle. She had drawn a beautiful woman with long black hair. The Amakura clan symbol was emblazoned on her chest, proudly displayed.

"Huh…never thought that I would draw Miyako."

She had seen paintings done of Miyako Amakura and she had almost gotten her image right. What confused Selûne was that she had just drawn her!

'_Why would I be drawing my ancestor? I could've sworn I was just scribbling on the paper!'_

"Ugh…this is getting annoying, I just wanna go home," she griped to herself.

'_I'm beginning to sound like Tsunade-sensei, a lazy ass. She would kill me if I called her that.'_

Selûne got up and looked out the window, watching people walk the streets of Konoha. She looked to the right to see her childhood home off in the distance. It had been fixed up and bought by another clan nearly two years ago and her clan symbol had been painted over, making it seem like she had never lived there.

'_The Amakura line is fading. With Mayu and I as the only ones left, there doesn't seem to be much hope for the clan if we meet again and kill each other.'_

Her fist clenched and she bowed her head, thinking of what Mayu had said.

"_Someone is coming back and when they do, the Village Hidden in the Leaves will be utterly destroyed."_

The young Amakura lifted her head and stared out at the village. "Who does she mean?"

'_I love this village. It's my home…I'll defend it to the end of my breathing days!'_

She turned away from the window and picked up the pad of paper, staring down at the drawing of Miyako. "I will restore the clan Miyako and when I do…our bloodline will continue on through the ages."

The door to Selûne's office burst open and Sakura ran into the room, her cheeks flushed from exertion.

"Sakura? What's wrong?"

"Sasuke…and Naruto! They're fighting on the roof!" Sakura gasped, tears beginning to fall down her cheeks.

"What!?" Selûne rushed out the room with Sakura following after her. She threw open the door to the stairwell and ran up the stairs, her heart beating loudly in her ears.

'_I should have seen it coming! The way Sasuke was speaking of Naruto should have alerted me to it, now…now it might be too late. Sasuke…you promised me!'_

Selûne reached the top and threw the door to the roof open, the scene before her causing her to gasp.

Sasuke and Naruto were coming at each other with their respective jutsu, Sasuke with his Chidori and Naruto with his Rasengan. Selûne's eyes widened.

'_Their chakra is built up to kill!'_

"NOOOOOO!"

It felt like slow motion as Selûne ran to intercept their attacks. Her scream of terror made both Naruto and Sasuke look at her, their faces showing surprise right before their jutsu hit…

Both Naruto and Sasuke gasped. Instead of them hitting each other, their attack had hit her!

Selûne stood between them, her face downcast. Naruto's attack had bruised her greatly and Sasuke's attack had gone right through her stomach. She coughed blood, some of it landing on Sasuke's cheek. Naruto was the first to move.

"Se-chan, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to!" His voice was filled with sadness as he stared at her back.

"Why?"

Both males froze. Her voice was quiet, barely a whisper. "Why would you do this? You two are teammates, not enemies. Teammates should not be fighting…" She gripped Sasuke's hand and slowly pulled it from her body. The sound his hand made as it came free nearly made Sasuke throw up, but he steeled himself. Her head came up, her eyes glowing gold.

Selûne tried to focus on Sasuke's face, but it blurred in and out of focus. "I'm glad I was able to come in time or you two would have killed each other. Chakra of that magnitude should be aimed at your enemies, not your friends."

"Naruto is not my friend!" Sasuke yelled, slashing his arm through the air. "He's a no good, worthless loser who thinks he's better than everyone else!"

"Is that what you think, Sasuke?" Her voice was slow. "Because from what I see, you are the one with the superiority complex. You think you're better than everyone else when you're not. Everyone has their strengths and their weaknesses. Naruto may act like an idiot sometimes, but he is not one to underestimate. You both have grown so much from the young boys that I knew back then. Sasuke…you yourself have gotten stronger as well. To master Chidori at your level is no small feat. Be happy…for what you have…" Selûne stopped as more blood ran down from the corners of her mouth. She spit a mouthful of blood onto the ground, the pain in her stomach immense.

'_Because of that attack, there has been significant damage to my internal organs. My ability to heal won't be enough…' _

"She's right, you know." Kakashi appeared out of nowhere, catching Selûne before she fell to the ground. "What were you two thinking? From the amount of chakra in your jutsus, it looked like more than just a simple sparring match! What were you thinking, Sasuke? Were you really going to try to kill him? Selûne is right, you need to control this sense of superiority you have."

Sasuke sulked, glaring at Naruto who glared right back. Kakashi looked down at Selûne, wiping some of the blood from the corner of her mouth. "And…because of you two, it's possible that Selûne will die if we don't get her immediate medical attention."

Sasuke's eyes widened, looking at the form of the young woman.

'_Because of me…Selûne might die? I swore I would never hurt her, yet here she is, possibly dying. It's all my fault!'_

"When are you finally going to grow up Sasuke?"

Sasuke jumped over the fence of the roof, landing on the roof of another building. He took off running, the image of Selûne's bloodied body stuck in his mind.

'_Selûne…forgive me…!'_

* * *

Kakashi jumped over the rooftops of Konoha, carrying the limp Selûne in his arms. As he neared the Hokage's office, he looked down at the young girl, her face smeared with blood. The wound in her stomach had closed up somewhat due to her kekkei genkai, but the rest would need to be healed by Tsunade.

'_What was she thinking, jumping in front of their attack like that?'_

Tsunade was going to have a cow when she saw her student like this. Kakashi mentally prepared himself for hell and walked into the Hokage's office.

"HOLY SHIT! WHAT HAPPENED!?"

Kakashi reeled back against the wall, his ears ringing from Tsunade's screaming. The Hokage snatched the limp girl from his arms and laid her on the ground, examining the wound in her stomach.

"Be thankful you got her here when you did, otherwise she would have died within the hour. She's lost an enormous amount of blood. What happened?"

Kakashi sighed, scratching the back of his head. "Let's say Naruto and Sasuke had a bit of a…disagreement and she intercepted their attack, so yeah…"

Tsunade scoffed, her hands glowing with chakra as she pressed them to the pulsing wound in Selûne's stomach. "Well thank you for getting her here in time or I would have to kill those two."

Kakashi laughed nervously. "Well, I think I should find Sasuke and lecture him then." He opened the window and jumped out, leaving the Hokage with the young Amakura.

* * *

Sasuke sat in the large tree, staring at nothing. Kakashi's words ran through his mind.

'_Because of you two…it's possible that Selûne will die if we don't get her immediate medical attention.'_

Sasuke's fists clenched, the tears running down his cheeks.

'_Selûne…I'm sorry…I'm so sorry!'_

He punched the tree, ignoring the pain that shot through his hand. He didn't want her to die! If that happened…he would have nothing to live for except his revenge against Itachi, but what would happen after he had accomplished that? If Selûne died…

Sasuke yelled, driving his fist into the tree yet again, his knuckles turning a dark shade of red. He panted hard, his chest tightening up.

'_I can't live without her…she's that one person who makes me feel like my younger self again, the person that I used to be before Itachi killed my clan. I…I love her so much…'_

"_Sasuke…"_

_His head shot up, his eyes wide. All around him was darkness._

"_Selûne?"_

_She appeared before him, radiant in a beautiful flowing white dress. A smile was upon her lips. Sasuke watched as the darkness melted away into a beautiful garden, the smell of flowers reaching his nose. She stood there, still smiling at him._

"_Where are we?" he asked, his throat suddenly tight. _

"_We're in the subconscious of my mind, where I go for peace of mind," she said, taking a rose by the stem and plucking it from the bush, bringing it to her nose and inhaling. "It's a power that my bloodline affords, but only through intense meditation can we unlock it. We can send people to another realm using this, whether it be a place of peace or a place of death. It's used to break the mind of opponents, but in your case Sasuke, I used it to ease your worries."_

_Sasuke took a step toward her, suddenly afraid that if he got too close, she would disappear. She only watched him as he approached, the smile still on her face. When he was right in front of her, he stopped. _

"_Don't be afraid Sasuke. I maintain this realm so you can stay as long as you want. I must tell you though; you can spend as much time as you want in this realm, but only a second will pass in the real world. It's much like Itachi's Tsukuyomi, only my realm is more…shall we say, substantial. I must warn you though; you cannot spend every moment here. This is only an illusion and it will remain only if I maintain it."_

_Sasuke took Selûne's hand in his, rubbing the soft skin of her knuckles. She watched him, an amused smile on her lips._

"_Selûne…do you know what is happening to you in the real world?" he asked, surprised that his voice was steady. _

"_Tsunade-sensei is healing me right now. Don't worry, I'll be alright," she said, her voice soothing to his ears. Sasuke closed his eyes, the tears threatening to come._

"_Selûne…forgive me. I didn't mean to hurt you like that. I never want to hurt you, ever!" His fist clenched._

_Selûne's smile became sad, seeing the Uchiha like this. "Beyond my need for revenge, you keep me going. You give me a reason to live…to want to keep fighting. Selûne…"_

"_Sasuke, I understand. Remember that you promised me that you would never let yourself be consumed by revenge? I will hold you to that. As long as I live, I will remind you of your promise."_

"_Selûne…there's something I want to say. Something that I've wanted to tell you for a long time."_

_The young woman tilted her head to the side, her eyes questioning him. "What is it?"_

_Sasuke took a deep breath. 'I can do this.'_

"_Selûne…I love you."_

_The girl smiled at him, her hands coming up to hold his face. "I've known for a while. I just wanted to hear you say it. And…I love you as well Sasuke."_

_Sasuke's heart skipped a beat when she said that. 'She does feel the same…'_

_Selûne leaned in and brushed her lips against Sasuke's, causing the Uchiha to blush furiously. She smiled at him, caressing his cheek. _

"_I believe Kakashi is looking for you. I will see you in the real world Sasuke."_

The illusion dispelled, Sasuke's head shot up. His heart was slamming almost painfully against his ribcage, but he didn't care. Selûne loved him!

A wire came out of nowhere and wrapped around Sasuke, binding him to the tree. He grunted, struggling against his bonds before realizing that there was no escape. The wire was infused with chakra, therefore making it almost impossible to break and escape.

Kakashi stood before him holding the cable in his hand, staring down at the Uchiha. His expression was blank. Sasuke's teeth clenched as he struggled against his bonds once more.

"Sorry, but I knew you wouldn't want to sit still for a lecture, so I figured I would have to pin you down." Sasuke glared at the copy nin, his eyes blazing with fire.

"Let it go. You need to forget about revenge."

"What!?" What was Kakashi saying?

"Believe me, I've met a lot of guys in this work who feel the way you do. Trust me, for those who follow the path of revenge, it never ends well. The only difference between those guys and you is that they never went so far as to attack their comrades and loved ones." Sasuke's eyes widened. "I know how you feel about our little prodigy. I can see it every time you look at her. I believe she's told you to not let yourself fall to revenge, right? It'll only tear you apart."

Sasuke let his head fall, staring at his knees. "Even if you do succeed and you get your revenge, what will you have then? Nothing. Only emptiness-"

"Shut up!" Sasuke yelled. "What makes you think you know anything about it? It's easy for you to talk, you have NO idea!"

"Calm down," Kakashi said, but Sasuke kept going, an evil look on his face.

"Maybe if I was to kill the most important people in your life, anyone who's ever meant anything, maybe then I'd listen to you because then you'd have some idea how I feel!" An image of Itachi killing Selûne flashed through Sasuke's mind, causing his heart to drop.

"Hmmm…it's an interesting theory, but I'm afraid you're a little late to put it to the test. Everyone you're talking about has already been killed."

Sasuke's eyes widened, his face registering shock. _'So maybe he does know how I feel…'_

"I've been around longer than you have, kid. I've seen my share of troubles. You're not the only one who knows what it's like to lose somebody. I guess none of us had exactly led a charmed life, it seems. Still, we're not all that bad off. You and I have been lucky to find new comrades to fill the void. The only difference that you and I have is that one person from your past still exists and that person is currently being patched up because of a foolish mistake. Don't let yourself fall to darkness Sasuke or you may pass the point of no return."

Sasuke sat there, his eyes solemn.

'_Naruto…Sakura…Selûne…'_

In his mind's eye, their smiling faces appeared, encouraging him to get stronger.

"Anyway, I do know how you feel. You've been granted a gift of awesome power with the Chidori, but it's not something you use against your comrades or to seek vengeance. I believe in your heart of hearts, you know what it's for."

Sasuke flinched, shame flooding through him.

"Okay, end of lecture. You decide what I'm saying hit's the mark or not." With those words Kakashi disappeared, leaving Sasuke alone again to ponder his words.

'_Maybe he's right…but then again, what about Itachi?'_

"_Sasuke?"_

_He blinked. He was back in that fragrant garden again with Selûne, who lay next to him in the soft grass. _

"_Did what Kakashi say help you at all?"_

"_Selûne, I'm lost. I don't know what to do at all. I'm torn between wanting to take revenge or stay here in Konoha with my friends." Sasuke closed his eyes, his mind spinning. "What do I do?"_

_Selûne laid her hand against Sasuke's cheek, making him open his onyx eyes to stare into hers. She leaned in and kissed him gently, enjoying the feel of his lips responding to hers. When she pulled away, she smiled at him._

"_Follow your heart Sasuke. It will tell you what to do," she said, caressing his cheek. Sasuke's hand rested over hers, keeping it in place._

"_My heart is with you…" he murmured, kissing her again. _

"_If that is how you feel, then stay…" she whispered, staring into his eyes._

_Selûne and Sasuke shared another kiss before she smiled sadly at him. _

"_I'm sorry Sasuke, but I must go. I will see you soon," she said as she dispelled the illusion._

Sasuke sat against the tree once more, staring at nothing.

"What do I do?"


	11. Sasuke's Departure

_**God these chapters are coming up fast :P yesssss! Thanks to Apathetic Devotion for input :) now she gets Itachi and Sasuke cookies ^^ I don't own Naruto!**_

_**I think the song to go well with this chapter would be "Sadness and Sorrow" from the Naruto OST. Just saying...**_

* * *

Selûne's eyes slowly opened, blinking as her vision came into focus. She was in Tsunade's apartment in the Hokage's bed.

'_What happened?'_

She stiffened as she remembered Naruto and Sasuke fighting, her jumping in front of their attack, Sasuke's Chidori ripping through her stomach and then blackness.

"I see you're awake." Tsunade came walking in, closing the door behind her and sitting on the edge of the bed. "You've been out for a few hours. For any normal person, they would have been out for days, but you're just not normal are you Selûne?"

"I suppose not…what time is it?" Selûne sat up, holding her head. She had a pounding headache!

"It's about 8 PM. Why do you ask?" Tsunade noticed her discomfort and placed her hand on her head, her palm glowing with green chakra. The pain quickly faded and Selûne sighed in relief.

"Just curious is all, Tsunade-sensei." Selûne threw the sheet off her and slowly stood up. She pulled her shirt up to see that the wound she had sustained from Sasuke was gone, leaving absolutely no scar. She closed her eyes.

'_Sasuke…what will you do now? Will you choose revenge or love?'_

"Selûne?" Tsunade had come up behind her, laying a hand on her shoulder. The Amakura turned her head slightly, looking her sensei in the eyes.

"I'm okay…I need to get home. I have a bad feeling about something." Selûne began walking for the door when Tsunade's voice stopped her.

"Just make sure you rest up a little. You sustained heavy damage from that attack, but then again I know you're not going to listen to me so why do I even bother?" The Sannin rolled her eyes, knowing full well that her student was just going to ignore her advice about rest.

Selûne smiled at her cheerily. "You know me, Tsunade-sensei. I've never been one for following orders." She opened the door and stepped out, leaving the Hokage alone. When she stepped out onto the street, she looked up at the full moon.

'_A full moon tonight symbolizes a new beginning or the end of events. It unnerves me. I'm worried about Sasuke...maybe I can try to reach him…'_

She sat down on the steps to the apartment complex and concentrated hard, calling Sasuke to her subconscious.

* * *

Sasuke stared down at the picture of Team 7, feeling no emotion in his heart. After his encounter with the Sound 4, his mind had been made up. He was going to leave the village tonight. His mind recalled the memory when he had met Selûne in her subconscious.

"_Follow your heart Sasuke. It will tell you what to do."_

"_My heart is with you…"_

"_If that is how you feel, then stay…"_

Sasuke's fist clenched. He felt a sudden wave of guilt wash over him when he realized he would be breaking his promise to Selûne.

'_Forgive me…'_

"_Sasuke?"_

_Selûne appeared before him once more, but instead of that beautiful garden it was nothing but darkness. She was frowning, something that made Sasuke's heart stop._

"_You have decided then?" Her voice sounded hurt. "Is this the path you will take?"_

"_I'm so sorry…" he choked, reaching out for her hand. She took his hand, holding it tightly. "I need this, Selûne. Until Itachi is dead, I cannot think of leading a normal life."_

_She stared down at their intertwined hands, her eyes glistening. She forced back her tears and looked at him again, a smile tugging at her lips. "Sasuke…if you must choose this path, do not let it consume you. You will lose yourself if you let it. I don't think my heart can take it if you do."_

"_Come with me." Selûne's body stiffened. Sasuke moved closer to her, his hands on her shoulders. She looked into his eyes, seeing the determination in them._

"_What?"_

"_Leave the village with me. It would be better that way. We can stay together and we'll never be apart. Plus it can be your way of making sure that I don't lose myself to revenge." Sasuke's black eyes pleaded with her to say yes, but Selûne shook her head. _

"_No Sasuke. I can't go to that…monster. He placed his curse seal on my sister and if he takes her body, he may become impossible to defeat. If he were to do that to me…let's just say our entire world will be utterly destroyed. "_

_Sasuke massaged her hand. "I promise you Selûne, I won't let myself become corrupted. After I kill Itachi, I will kill Orochimaru. When I do, I will come back for you and make you my wife. I promise…" Selûne smiled, a lone tear trailing down her cheek. Sasuke wiped it away and gave her a long, lingering kiss. "I love you, utsukushi." _

_She drew in a shuddering breath. "Sasuke…I love you too."_

He blinked, the vision fading away. He tipped the picture facedown and hoisted his backpack onto his shoulders, stepping out of the apartment and closing the door.

* * *

Selûne made her way to Sasuke's apartment, her mind reeling with what Sasuke had called her.

'_Utsukushi, the beautiful one…'_

She reached the door and stopped, a sense of emptiness filling her. Something wasn't right. She slowly opened the door to an empty apartment.

"Maybe he's out eating or something…" she whispered to herself, stepping inside and looking around. She noticed the picture of Team 7 laying facedown.

'_No…'_

She ran to the closet and threw it open. Her suspicions were confirmed. Selûne tore out of the apartment, running as fast as she could on the road out of Konoha.

'_I have to stop him…to see him one last time…!'_

* * *

Sasuke made his way down the street and stopped. Sakura stood a few feet before him, her expression sad.

"It's the middle of the night. What are you hanging around here for?" he said, his voice annoyed. Sakura flinched, her eyes sad.

"This is the only road out of the village," she murmured, bowing her head.

"Hn. You should go to bed." Sasuke began walking past her, his hands shoved in his pockets. Sakura stood there, her eyes downcast. A lone tear trailed down her cheek and fell to the ground.

"Why, Sasuke?"

He kept walking.

"Why don't you ever tell me anything? Why is it always silence with you? You never shared a single thing-"

"Why should I have to tell you anything?" Sasuke stopped, his voice angry. Sakura's tears were now flowing freely as she stared at Sasuke's back.

'_Sasuke…'_

"Just keep your nose out of my business," he said, not turning to look at her. "It's none of your concern."

Sakura smiled then, a bitter smile. "I know you hate me. Even in the beginning, you could never stand me. Remember back when we were made genin and assigned to our three man squads? We were alone for the very first time in this very spot. You got so mad at me that day." She looked up at him, her smile hopeful.

"I don't remember that." She gasped then sadly looked back down.

"Yeah sure, I mean…it was so long ago, right? But still, that's the day when it all began. It was the start of you and me. And Naruto. And Kakashi-sensei."

* * *

Selûne slowed down to a walk when she stopped. There in the distance was Sakura and in front of Sakura was Sasuke. He had his back turned to her. She could hear Sakura talking to him, so she hid in a tree and quietly crept up to listen to what she was saying.

"I know about your clan Sasuke. I do…and seeking revenge…that won't bring anyone happiness. Nobody at all." Sakura's voice was solemn. "Not you and not me."

Selûne watched Sakura as she stared at the ground, her heart feeling sorry for the pink haired kunoichi. Sakura had always been like a little sister to her with her childish antics and her fights with Naruto. Seeing her like this was more than Selûne could bear.

"I knew it." Sasuke's voice was bitter. "I'm not the same as you. I'm traveling a path the rest of you can't follow. I know that the four of us have worked together and for a while I thought I could take that road instead."

Selûne sighed, her heart aching.

'_I wish you had taken that road instead Sasuke…'_

"But in the end, I've decided on revenge. It's always been my reason for living. I'll never be like you or Naruto."

"Don't do this Sasuke!" Sakura's voice sounded desperate. "You don't have to be alone. You told me that day how painful a thing solitude can be. I understand that pain now. I have a family and friends, but…if you were gone, Sasuke, it would be the same for me as being all alone!"

Sakura's sobs reached Selûne's ears and she sighed, feeling her heart beginning to break. She wanted nothing more than to go down and comfort the girl, but she stopped herself.

'_I shouldn't interrupt this moment…I can tell just from her words and her voice that she's about to break…'_

"This is a new beginning. Each of us has a new path lying before us," Sasuke said, his voice still cold.

'_How can he be like this when Sakura is pouring her heart and soul to him?'_

"Sasuke! I'm so in love with you I can't even stand it!"

'_There she goes…completely broken.'_

"If you would only be with me, I promise you would never regret it. Every day will be a joy; I would give you happiness! I would do anything for you, Sasuke! So please! I'm begging you, don't look away! I'll even help you get your revenge. I'll do whatever it takes to make it happen, I swear!"

'_Sakura, don't say that! I don't think I could stand seeing you sucked into darkness as well. You're too innocent and pure for it…'_

"So please, stay here with me. And if you can't…take me with you Sasuke."

Sakura's sobs grew louder, her anguish palpable in the air. Selûne closed her eyes, willing herself to stay where she was.

"You haven't changed." Sasuke's voice was light, somewhat teasing. "You're still annoying."

The sound of footsteps reached her ears and Selûne realized Sasuke was walking away.

"Don't leave me!" Sakura shrieked. "If you go, I'll scream and-"

There was a swish of air and Selûne peeked her head out to see Sasuke now behind Sakura. Sakura stood there motionless, her tears streaming down her face.

"Sakura…" Sasuke's voice was soft. "Thank you for everything."

Selûne could only watch as Sasuke jabbed Sakura in the back of the head, enough to knock the girl unconscious. He picked Sakura up and laid her on the nearby bench, staring at her for a moment before straightening and walking away from the sleeping kunoichi.

'_Might as well come out…'_

Selûne glided down from the tree, her feet making a soft _thud_ as she landed.

* * *

"Were you ever going to say goodbye to me, Sasuke?"

The Uchiha stopped mid-step, not turning to meet the eyes of the woman behind him. He knew that if he did, he wouldn't have the will to leave the village. He heard soft footsteps and felt the heat of her body close to his. She was directly behind him now.

He heard her sigh. "Be careful Sasuke. And…I love you, kurai."

Sasuke's eyes closed.

'_Kurai, the dark one…it's fitting Selûne.'_

He couldn't do it. He couldn't leave without looking at her beautiful face one more time. He spun around and wrapped her in a tight hug, one that she reciprocated. They remained like that for the longest time, neither of them wanting to let go. Both of them had a simultaneous thought running through their minds.

'_I'll never let you go…'_

'_I'll never let you go…'_

Selûne pulled away and looked into Sasuke's onyx eyes, watching his emotions war within him. She smiled sadly, leaning in to kiss him. Sasuke pulled her to him more tightly, crushing her lips against his. Selûne smiled inwardly as she called a spirit forth and sent it into Sasuke through their kiss. Now that it was situated in him, he could learn how to communicate with her over great distances through her subconscious.

"Selûne…let me take you home. I promise I'll stay a few more hours for you," Sasuke said, picking her up in his arms. Selûne blushed, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Alright."

* * *

Back in Sasuke's apartment, Sasuke and Selûne were cuddled up to each other in the bed, looking into each other's eyes. The Uchiha's black eyes were brimming with emotion as he brushed his fingertips over her cheek, watching her eyes close and then reopen to look at him once more. Neither of them spoke, not wanting to ruin the moment. He leaned in and kissed her, trying to memorize the feel of her lips against his.

'_This may be the last time I see her in a while. I don't want to forget this...ever.'_

When he pulled away, Selûne's eyes were glistening with tears.

"I'm going to miss you Sasuke," she whispered, tucking his bangs behind his ears. Sasuke grabbed her hand and planted a kiss on her palm.

"Not as much as I'm going to miss you, utsukushi…"

Selûne's heart shattered. She took his hand and placed it over her heart, smiling at him.

"Only you hold my heart, Sasuke. I'll wait for you."

The Uchiha's eyes softened, kissing her once more. "I'll come back as soon as possible. I promise."

He got up from the bed, shouldering his pack once more. He turned back to the bed to see Selûne sitting up, the moonlight streaming in through the window to illuminate her figure in a soft glow.

'_Kami, she's beautiful…how did I ever get a woman like her?'_

"Come back to me Sasuke. Don't forget about me, alright?" She smiled at him, her eyes bright.

"I promise Selûne. I'll come back and we'll be together forever." Selûne laid back against the pillow, her eyes leaking tears. Sasuke walked over to her side of the bed, kneeling down next to her. She turned to face him and he leaned in to kiss her for the last time. His hand caressed her cheek as her arm wrapped around his neck, keeping him in the kiss. When he pulled away, Selûne's brave face shattered and crumpled as she buried her face in his shirt, sobbing uncontrollably. Sasuke held her to him, letting her cry for now. He would have to leave soon…

'_No matter how much it hurts…I need this…'_

He gently pulled Selûne away from him and wiped the tears from her eyes before kissing her forehead. "Go to sleep tenshi. I love you."

"Your angel, Sasuke," she said as she laid back against the pillows, watching him as he walked to the door. He opened it and stopped, turning back to look at her for one last time. He closed his eyes before he closed the door behind him. Selûne could hear his footsteps echoing down the hall before they disappeared completely. She buried her face in the pillows, sobbing.

'_I come back only for him to leave…! It's not fair! Why can't anything ever go right for me!?'_

She sniffed once and laid on her back, concentrating on Sasuke.

* * *

"_Sasuke…"_

_He was back in that world again with the garden, only this time Selûne was dressed in the same clothes she was wearing when he left. Her smile was sad. _

"_I figured you would do this again, Selûne," he said, approaching her. She only smiled. _

"_I couldn't stand to see you go, so this is my last moment with you."_

_Sasuke hugged her tightly, kissing her on the lips. The wind around them picked up, causing leaves and flower petals to float around them. _

"_This can be our own little fantasy where we can escape from the harshness of reality and enjoy each other's company," she said as she pulled away. _

"_I love our fantasy," Sasuke said, holding her hands. "I would stay in it forever, but the world outside calls me. I need this, Selûne. I need to destroy Itachi…for the sake of my family and everyone he killed. When it is over…I want to restore my clan. I want you to be the one I rebuild it with. Two great bloodlines merging…think about it. Our children, our grandchildren, our great-grandchildren…they will all be powerful shinobi."_

_Selûne smiled brightly at him. "Sasuke…I will. I'll wait for you. Come back to me safe and sound, okay?"_

"_I promise Selûne. We'll be together forever."_

_Sasuke and Selûne shared one last kiss before the illusion dissipated, leaving Selûne in Sasuke's bed and Sasuke on the outskirts of the village. _

Sasuke looked back at the village, to where his apartment was. He could almost visualize Selûne laying in his bed looking out the window to where he was, watching him. Sasuke closed his eyes and turned his back on the village, walking away as Selûne's voice whispered to him in his mind.

'_Together…forever…'_


	12. The Hunt for Sasuke

_**I have finally decided on a perfect theme song for Selûne! It will be Aerith's theme from FFVII, one of the greatest games ever in my opinion. It has amazing music :D and not the theme from Advent Children, the one from the original FFVII! Thanks to Apathetic Devotion for her input :))) I don't own Naruto.**_

* * *

Selûne sat on the top of the Hokage monument, staring out at the village. It was early morning and the village was still sleeping, but she didn't care. Her heart felt like it had broken into tiny pieces. Despite the promise that Sasuke had made, she couldn't help but wonder if he really wouldn't let himself be consumed by revenge.

'_Can't you trust him this once, Selûne? It is hard to believe because in the five years you were gone, he thought of nothing but revenge.'_

Her hand came up and grasped the necklace that Itachi had given her before she had left the village five years ago. The silver ring shone brightly at her.

'_It was probably a good idea to store chakra into the ring. It'll help me in my fight against Mayu and if I have to face Orochimaru, this small reserve will be just enough to kill him.'_

She squeezed the jewelry tightly in her fist, her eyes hard. Orochimaru…the man who had caused so much anguish and grief for this village.

'_And myself…he needs to be stopped!'_

She stood up from her position on the head of the Second Hokage and glanced down at the Hokage's office.

"Should I tell her? If Sasuke finds out, he may get upset…" she said to herself.

'_Screw it!'_

She jumped down from the monument and landed lightly on the roof of the Hokage building, jumping down from there and onto the street. She opened the door to the building and walked through the empty hallways before stopping in front of the door to Tsunade's office.

'_I wonder how she'll take it…?'_

The young girl opened the door to the Hokage's office without knocking. Her eye twitched when she saw Tsunade, who was snoring away on her desk.

"Tsunade-sensei!"

The Hokage shot up, falling out of her chair and hitting the floor, her arms and legs twitching. She quickly recovered and rushed at Selûne, knocking her upside the head.

"OW! What was that for!?" the younger kunoichi yelled, rubbing her head.

"That's for walking in without knocking and scaring the living shit out of me, you insolent child!" Tsunade's fist seemed magnified by a hundred times and her eyes were blazing with fire. Selûne smiled cheekily, the Hokage recovering her composure and staring at the girl with a confused look.

"You know me, Tsunade-sensei. It's only with you."

The Hokage could only sigh before smiling at the girl. "What're you doing up this early? Should you be at home with _Sasukeeee….?" _

Selûne blushed furiously before turning her head away from Tsunade. "Actually…there's something I need to tell you sensei."

"What's up?" Tsunade walked back to her desk and sat down, putting her feet up on the scrolls scattered across the desk and leaning back, folding her hands behind her head. Selûne took a deep breath, trying to find the words.

'_Here goes…'_

"Sasuke has left the village."

Tsunade's face suddenly became very serious. "What!? Are you sure?"

Selûne looked down, her eyes sad. "I watched him go myself…"

"And you did nothing to stop him!?"

She closed her eyes, her eyes burning with tears. "I tried to convince him not to leave, but nothing would change his mind Tsunade-sensei. He's bent on revenge and he believes Orochimaru will give him the power he needs in order to accomplish this."

'_So this is what Orochimaru was planning. His plan to destroy the Leaf Village was…to grab the Uchiha's powers for his own.' _

Tsunade looked at the young Amakura. Her eyes were sad but her face was hard, like she was warring within herself.

"Very well…I will send a team of shinobi to go and retrieve Sasuke."

Selûne's head shot up, looking her sensei in the eyes. "Tsunade-sensei…I want to go and help bring him back. Please!? I might be able to reach him if I go!"

"No Selûne. I don't want you going because your feelings for the young Uchiha will get in the way and compromise the mission. I've seen enough situations like this where lovers will care only for themselves and not the wellbeing of the village. I need people who are not attached to Sasuke in that way."

Selûne's fist clenched as she glared at the Hokage. "I need you here for the hospital in case the team comes back injured. Understand?"

The Amakura's head lowered, a secretive smile on her face. "Yes Tsunade-sensei."

'_She's going to kick my ass so hard I probably won't be able to sit down for the rest of my life, but this will be the first time I disobey a direct order of hers. Forgive me Tsunade-sensei.'_

* * *

Selûne watched as the group of shinobi assigned to retrieve Sasuke stood outside the gates of Konoha. Naruto, Kiba, Shikamaru, Neji and Choji were devising a plan.

'_It seems to be a very well thought out plan…'_

Sakura came up behind her, her eyes watery. The older girl placed her hand on her shoulder, causing the pink haired kunoichi to look up at her.

"Don't worry Sakura. I'm sure they'll bring Sasuke back."

Sakura smiled slightly and wiped at her eyes. "Naruto…this is my one time request. Just bring him home. Please bring Sasuke back home to me."

Selûne flinched, her eyes downcast.

'_Sakura…if you only knew…it's better you don't know…'_

"Don't you worry. I'll bring Sasuke back home! I promise that on my life Sakura!" Naruto said, his wide grin appearing on his face.

"Let's go then," Shikamaru said and the group began walking off. Sakura stared after them for a moment before turning and walking back to the village, but Selûne stood there, her fists clenched.

'_Sasuke…can't you see how much pain you've caused this village? Causing Sakura so much grief, leaving the village when it's at its low point, leaving me…I'll find you and when I do, I'm going to beat some sense into you!'_

The group was almost out of sight. Selûne steeled herself and ran after them.

"Wait!"

Naruto was the first to turn, his eyes surprised. "Se-chan?"

She stopped before them, her eyes hard. "I'm coming with you."

"No," Shikamaru said. "Lady Hokage told me specifically that if you tried to come with us to stop you. You'll only slow us down."

"But what Tsunade-sensei didn't tell you is that I'm a medic nin and none of you have an ounce of chakra devoted to the healing arts. I can be useful if any of you get hurt, so when I heal you, you can get right back up and continue fighting."

"She has a point Shikamaru," Neji said. "You did say that this is going to be a dangerous mission and someone is bound to get injured. We need all the help we can get if we are to succeed."

Shikamaru pondered this. Selûne decided to use her last card.

"If Tsunade-sensei asks, I forced you to let me join under pain of death. She'll know it was me then."

Shikamaru sighed, waving his hand. "This is so annoying, but fine. Just don't become a burden."

"Don't worry," she said, smiling. "I could say the same about you."

* * *

"Before we go any further, I must say that you must die just this once."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "I must die…once?"

'_What does this idiot think he's saying?'_

Sakon chuckled as he pulled out a small bottle of dark red pills. "You'll take these…awakening pills."

Sasuke had a bad feeling about this. "What's it for? Awakening for what?"

"That mark on your shoulder is only a first stage curse mark," The red haired woman Tayuya said. "But those pills will stimulate it and magnify its power turning it into a Level Two curse mark."

"There's only one problem. Strengthening the curse mark will increase its effects on your body. Such a rapid change would kill you at once," Sakon explained. "So in order to ensure you survive through the transition to the second stage, we must give your body time to get accustomed to it. It would take at least several hours. After that, once the transition is complete, your power will be even to ours."

Sasuke stared at the bottle, his mind racing. Did he really want to go through with this to strengthen the curse mark, the thing that had caused him so much pain yet gave him so much power?

"Unfortunately, the fact remains that even with all these preparations, you will still have to die."

Sasuke flinched. He couldn't die now, not when he needed to kill Itachi and especially when he had promised Selûne he would come back for her! Nevertheless, he needed to know how this worked. "So I'm dead, what will happen after that?"

"Not to worry." Sakon hissed as he advanced on Sasuke. "Why do you think my friends and I are here?"

Sasuke kept his eyes on Sakon as the older man stepped in front of him. He looked into his hand as Sakon placed the bottle in Sasuke's hand. For a moment Sasuke stared at the bottle before looking back at the Sound nin.

"We'll cast a barrier of ninjutsu to lessen the effects of the transition. Instead of dying, you'll only be suspended in a state of…half-death."

Sasuke snorted and glared at him. "And I'm supposed to trust you guys to make sure this half-death doesn't become the real thing?"

"Listen Sasuke, don't forget who we are." The man with the many arms, Kidomaru said. "Orochimaru's handpicked bodyguards. If there's anybody who knows about curse marks, barrier ninjutsu and all the rest, it would be us."

Sasuke looked back down at the bottle, trying to make up his mind. Did he really want to go through with this? There was a small whisper of movement behind him and a chill ran down his back. The air had been warm and comfortable, but now it was freezing. He chanced a look behind him and there stood a shimmering form of a child, her eyes empty.

'_A spirit…! But then that means Selûne is nearby…why is she here!?'_

The Sound Four had noticed this little spirit and Tayuya moved to approach it, but the spirit child screeched loudly and disappeared.

"If you don't do this Sasuke…we'll be forced to kill your friends who are on their way here right now," Sakon said, his eyes glittering with bloodlust. "Along with that girl you care about."

Sasuke's eyes widened. Anger built up within him as he clenched the bottle in his hand tightly. "If you so much as lay a hand on her…!"

"You'll kill us?" Jirobo said, his laugh echoing through the trees. "Sorry to hand it to you Sasuke, but you could barely touch us in our last encounter."

"You take the pill and advance to the second stage, we won't even _dream _of touching her," Tayuya said. Sasuke's mind was made up.

'_One thing's for sure. I can't die, not yet.'_

He opened the bottle and tapped one pill into his hand. "I guess I'm in your hands then."

He raised his hand to his mouth and dropped the pill in, swallowing.

* * *

Since the group had encountered a trap that couldn't be disarmed or gone through, they had to go around and by foot.

'_This forest is full of traps. This group is setting them everywhere to catch us.'_

Selûne walked in the middle of the group, her eyes glowing gold. Her eyes were trained on the ground, stepping over the tripwires and avoiding the traps. It had been Shikamaru's idea to keep her in the middle so that they could protect her. As the medic of the team, she was crucial to their success.

"These guys are moving fast and getting sloppy," Shikamaru said. "Their traps are easy to spot."

Everyone was tense, keeping alert for any traps other than the tripwires on the ground. "Naruto, do us a favor and watch where you're going. I don't want you blowing us all up. There's tripwires everywhere," Kiba said.

"Tell me something I don't know," Naruto said as he stepped over a tripwire, another hidden tripwire revealed itself just in front of it.

"Naruto, hold it!" Shikamaru yelled, throwing his towel so that its shadow fell into Naruto's. Naruto's body completely froze, caught in Shikamaru's Shadow Possession Jutsu. "Thank Kami that was close."

Kiba freaked out. "Didn't I tell you to watch your step you moron!?"

Selûne walked up to inspect the tripwire. "The second one is camouflaged," she said. "It seems while you're trying to avoid the visible one, you trip the second one and boom!"

"They created a trap within a trap. They're clever, whoever they are," Neji said.

"Their other traps were sloppy like they were moving fast, but this one is thought out," Shikamaru said, bending down to closer inspect it.

"They may have stopped to rest," Selûne said, straightening. "Or one of them is injured…"

At that moment, the group heard a quiet screeching noise and Selûne turned to see the little girl spirit she had sent forward, Atsuko. Selûne smiled at the girl and walked toward her while the guys shrank against the tree, shaking in their shoes.

"Se-chan, get away from it! It's a GHOST!" Naruto screamed, his face going white before he passed out.

'_Oh Naruto…'_

"It's okay, she won't hurt you. I commanded her to go forth and find Sasuke so that we can find him easier." She crouched down in front of the girl. Atsuko had always been her favorite spirit to summon. When Selûne had been on her mission in the Land of Snow, it had been a habit to summon Atsuko and either play or talk to her. It was good companionship and the little girl was one of the few spirits that wasn't malevolent or tormented.

"Atsuko, did you find him?"

The little spirit nodded, pointing her finger to the north. "They're two miles that way." Her voice was cheerful for a spirit. Selûne followed her gesture to the north, her eyes narrowing.

"Thank you dear. You can rest now."

Atsuko grinned before disappearing. Selûne turned to the boys, their faces in complete shock. "Are you guys okay?"

"Why didn't you tell us you could command spirits?" Neji said, his purple eyes staring her down. Selûne scratched the back of her head bashfully.

"Well…it's not something that my clan boasts about, but in the beginning our ancestor went down to the netherworld to retrieve the spirit of her lover and was attacked by the spirits down there. She defeated them and took back her lover, but before she left, she struck a deal with them. As long as the Amakura bloodline continues, the spirits must serve us faithfully. Only two people can command them, myself and my sister. It's what makes our clan one of the most powerful."

"Hn."

'_Oh great…I see Sasuke's rubbed off on some people.'_

"In any case, we'll head in that direction," Shikamaru said. "We'll formulate a plan before we go and take them out."

The group got together and in no time, they had formulated a plan.

"Kiba, the timing of those smoke bombs is absolutely crucial, got it?"

"Got it."

"Now…let's split up!" Shikamaru said.

Shikamaru and Neji went off in one direction, Kiba and Choji to another and Naruto and Selûne went together. No one noticed the multiple spider-webs laid out.

* * *

As they neared the site where the Sound Four had stopped, Selûne's body froze. There was an unnatural heaviness to the air, something evil was close. Naruto looked back to see her standing there, her eyes blank.

"Se-chan? You okay?"

Selûne snapped out of her momentary trance. "Yeah…I'm okay."

Naruto shrugged and began walking again. Selûne's eyes stared down at the ground.

'_It feels like Orochimaru's cold chakra…'_

There was an explosion and the sounds of Neji and Shikamaru's yells reached their ears.

'_Oh no!'_

Naruto and Selûne didn't notice the spider-webs curling around their ankles before it was too late. They were yanked out of their hiding place into the clearing where the Sound Four stood with Shikamaru and Neji. Kiba and Choji were thrown out as well, but Kiba caught himself and threw his smoke bomb, causing thick purple smoke to obscure their vision.

"Heh heh heh throw all the smoke bombs you want, you're still caught in my trap. These threads are so fine they're almost invisible, but they're stronger than they look." The one of the Sound ninja with the many arms spoke up, wiggling his fingers which had the fine threads attached to them. "Now then…time for you to die."

He stopped, unable to move. "W-what? What is this!?"

"Nice going Shikamaru, Kiba. While Kiba distracted you with his smoke bomb, Shikamaru used his Shadow Possession Jutsu to trap you," Selûne said, using a kunai infused with chakra to cut the thread.

"Very impressive, but I'd be more impressed if I hadn't mastered that technique myself," the silver haired Sound ninja said.

There was a swish of air and three shuriken came at Shikamaru, breaking his concentration and his jutsu. The big Sound ninja made hand seals before slamming his palms into the ground.

"Earth Style Barrier: Earth Dome Prison!"

Rocks came up from the ground, surrounding the Konoha ninja and created a dome over them, effectively trapping them.

"It's a barrier of some kind," Selûne said, inspecting the rocks.

"HEY YOU OUT THERE! LET US OUT RIGHT NOW!" Naruto yelled pounding the rocks.

"Like that's gonna help," Kiba said, glaring at Naruto. "A wall's a wall. I can still pound through it."

He dug his hands into the ground, crouching into a leap position. Selûne watched as he jumped in the air and spun quickly, ramming into the wall. For a second, everyone held their breath hoping that it would work. When the dust settled, Kiba sat there, a large hole in the wall, but it hadn't broken through. To everyone's horror, the hole slowly closed up until no trace of the attack remained.

"LET US OUT!" Naruto yelled again.

"Naruto, calm down…it's no use yelling," Selûne said from her position on the floor. Naruto whirled on her, pointing an accusing finger at her.

"HOW CAN YOU BE SO CALM IN A TIME LIKE THIS!?"

Selûne's head shot up, her eyes glowing gold and red. Naruto took a step back.

Neji activated his Byakugan and stared through the wall. What he saw shocked him.

"The wall…it's absorbing our chakra like a sponge. It's feeding him our chakra."

Everyone gasped except for Selûne who simply sat there. Her body could feel the chakra slowly leaving it, but she couldn't do anything about it. She registered Naruto yelling again, but she ignored it. Kiba was attacking the wall again and she watched as both Kiba and Akamaru, who had transformed into Kiba, slammed into opposite sides of the wall. Her eyes narrowed as she watched the holes in the wall close up.

'_There's a difference…one hole is closing up more slowly than the other. That part of the wall is weak!'_

"Shikamaru!"

The boy turned to look at Selûne, whose eyes glowed in the darkness. "The wall that Akamaru hit…look at how it is slower in closing up than the one that Kiba hit."

Shikamaru looked back and forth, the realization hitting him. "Good observation, Se-chan. Choji, it looks like this is all yours."

"All right! Expansion Jutsu!" Choji's body expanded to five times its normal size. "Here we go!" His arms, legs and head disappeared into his body as it began spinning rapidly. "Human Boulder!"

His body hit the wall of earth, cracking away at it. Selûne stood, watching as this happened.

'_It has to work!'_

The wall cracked and tore away, Choji's body going through and hitting a tree. The five shinobi inside ran out before it could close up again, breathing a sigh of relief. The dome crumbled and fell to the ground, revealing the form of the Sound ninja, but he was the only one there. Selûne's eyes widened.

'_They took Sasuke!'_


	13. The Broken Promise

_**Personally I didn't like this chapter. It was somewhat difficult to write, but I did it. It may be a little rushed, but it mentions one of the major antagonists in the story (NOT KIMIMARO!) If you figure it out, tell me in a review and I'll reward you. I don't own Naruto :PPP**_

* * *

After leaving Choji, Neji, and Kiba to deal with the Sound ninja, Naruto, Shikamaru and Selûne pressed on. The only change was that they now had Sasuke's container. Selûne's eyes were a mix of gold and red, a sign of the repressed anger within.

'_If I don't control myself, I will lose control of my anger and when that happens…no one will be spared…I can't let that happen!'_

Hot on their heels was the red haired woman. The three shinobi stopped on a tree limb, placing Sasuke's container between them.

"We need to take care of her and fast!" Selûne said.

"There's no other way. I'll have to take care of this one. You two take the coffin and carry on with the mission," Shikamaru said.

"Shikamaru…"

The woman stopped suddenly on a nearby tree, her eyes wide.

"What? What're you doing here?" she said, her voice surprised.

It was then that Selûne felt a presence behind them. Naruto and Shikamaru felt it too when the man behind them landed on top of Sasuke's container and kicked it, grabbing it and jumping to the nearest tree.

"No!"

The man turned to look at them and Selûne's breath hitched.

"Kimimaro," the red haired woman breathed.

The one she called Kimimaro didn't appear to be older than Selûne. His silver hair and green eyes stood out the most on him and his clothes appeared to be entirely too big. A curse mark was settled on his chest.

"You were taking too long Tayuya," Kimimaro said, his voice cold and solemn. The woman Tayuya gasped, her eyes wide. "What happened to our comrades?"

"Why are you here? By now your body should…your body…"

"My body is too devastated to move on its own anymore. I used the power of my mind."

"You're cheating death!"

Selûne looked back and forth between the two Sound ninja before her eyes settled on Sasuke's container. She could feel the burning in her eyes but this time it wasn't tears. It was pure hatred. Her fist clenched and her teeth dug into her bottom lip, hard enough to cause a small trickle of blood to appear.

"You freak!" Naruto's voice shattered Selûne's thoughts. "I'm taking Sasuke back with me whether you like it or not!"

"No Naruto!" Was that her voice? It sounded almost…harsh and growling.

Tayuya punched Naruto back toward Selûne, the girl catching him in her arms. He slumped in her hold and Selûne gazed at him, her emotions warring within her.

Kimimaro grabbed Sasuke's container and ran off. That was the last straw for Selûne. Her control snapped and her inner demon came out.

"NO!"

She dropped Naruto and sped after Kimimaro. Tayuya jumped at her trying to stop her, but Selûne whirled around and using a chakra infused kick sent Tayuya flying back against a tree, her back making a sick cracking sound.

"Hmph!" Selûne jumped off into the trees, her whole body humming with spirit power.

'_I'm going to kill that bastard!'_

* * *

Kimimaro landed in an open meadow and stopped there, placing Sasuke's container down. He looked back into the forest.

'_When Tayuya comes back, I'll have to kill her, but first…'_

A figure burst out of the forest and landed a few feet away from him. Kimimaro's eyes narrowed. It was that girl again. Now that the sun was out, he could see now that she was beautiful, but the aura of power that radiated off from her stunned him.

'_What the hell is she? I've never seen such power before…'_

Selûne stood before Kimimaro, her eyes swirling with red and gold. She was no longer in control of herself.

"I see you've managed to get past Tayuya," Kimimaro said. "But there will be no getting past me-"

"Shut up!"

Kimimaro's eyes widened slightly. The Amakura's teeth clenched, her eyes trained on him.

"I will give you this one chance to live. Hand Sasuke over to me or suffer a long, painful death." Her voice was a harsh growl, the tattoos on her face jagged lines instead of straight. There was a flick of her wrist and the sky grew darker. The air around them shimmered and the Illusion of Souls activated, the cries and screams of the spirits around them surprising Kimimaro.

"Hold it right there!" Naruto jumped out of the forest and over the illusion. Selûne's head turned, her eyes angry. "Naruto, stop!"

The ninja stopped in mid-air and bounced away from the wall of shrieking spirits. "Don't come any closer. This illusion is real. If you get too close to it, they will grab you and suck your spirit out of you."

She turned to look at him more closely. "Ah…I see you've managed to use the power of the Nine-Tails, Naruto."

Naruto was in his initial transformation of the Nine-Tails in him. His eyes were red instead of blue and the whiskers on his face were now jagged lines. His fingernails had become sharp and deadly.

"How shall I destroy you both?" Kimimaro mused, taking a battle stance. Selûne glared at him, the wall of spirits disappearing. It had been a scare tactic, but it hadn't worked…

"Tell me what Orochimaru is planning to do! What does he want with Sasuke!?" Naruto's voice was deep, almost animal-like, but it didn't faze Selûne or Kimimaro.

"Lord Orochimaru has already acquired the Immortality Jutsu, but a vast amount of time is required to obtain every jutsu and everything he wants from this world."

"So what? What does that have to do with Sasuke!?" Selûne yelled, her eyes beginning to burn with anger.

"Just because he is immortal doesn't mean his body can maintain itself forever. Before his flesh decays, a strong new vessel must be prepared to contain his soul."

"Are you saying that he's going to use Sasuke's body!?" Naruto's anger grew as he glared holes at Kimimaro.

"Precisely. That's right." From Kimimaro's sleeve, a blade appeared.

"No! I'm not going to let that happen!" Naruto yelled, making hand signs. "Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Many Naruto clones appeared around Kimimaro.

Selûne brought her hands up to make seals, but Naruto stopped her. "Let me deal with him Selûne! You're in no condition to fight after what Sasuke and I put you through yesterday! Get yourself to safety!"

"Naruto, we're in this together. We both want to bring Sasuke back, so let me help you!"

Naruto stared at her over his shoulder, his red eyes softening. His smile was faint, but it was there. "Keep yourself safe, alright? If I need help, I'll ask for it."

Selûne nodded. "Alright…if you say so…"

"Selûne, you say…? As in Selûne Amakura?" Kimimaro said, his gaze now settling on the Amakura.

Selûne flinched, staring the man down. "Let me guess…you know Mayu, don't you?"

"One who was destined to be Lord Orochimaru's eternal vessel. With her regenerative abilities, Lord Orochimaru wouldn't have to require a new vessel anymore, but she ran off after he placed his curse mark on her."

"Yeah and she's perfect for him. They're both monsters with no hearts!" she screamed, her anger rising.

Naruto's clones began to emit red chakra, the chakra of the Nine-Tails. "I'm going to crush you!" he yelled, running at Kimimaro.

Selûne watched as Naruto attacked Kimimaro and she watched the red chakra shimmering around him, remembering something.

* * *

"_Ane?"_

_The village was under attack and Mayu had been charged with protecting Selûne and their newborn baby brother. The Nine-Tailed Fox had returned._

_Mayu turned to look at her sister, her eyes solemn. "Yeah imoto?"_

"_What if the monster eats us? I don't want to be eaten!" Mayu hugged her little sister tightly. _

"_No matter what happens Selûne, I'll protect you. I won't let anything bad happen to you or ototo."_

_There was a loud crash as one of the tails of the fox swept the roof of the house away. The beast looked down into the building, seeing the two little girls and the tiny baby boy being held by the elder Amakura. He brought his nose closer to the two girls and sniffed, his eyes hard. _

"_So…Miyako has returned. You two will live." With those words, the great beast disappeared. Mayu and Selûne stood there terrified. The elder Amakura looked to her sister, who was as white as a ghost._

"_Imoto…?" _

_Selûne fainted._

* * *

Selûne blinked and the memory faded. Naruto was not doing so well. Kimimaro had managed to wipe out most of the clones until only a handful were left, but Selûne's eyes widened when she saw Kimimaro. His bones were sticking out of his body from his elbows, his knees and his hands. She bit her lip.

'_It has to be his kekkei genkai…it seems to be very useful. Manipulating his skeletal structure to attack and defend…since bone is extremely hard, it is a good defense.'_

She jumped down from the tree she had been sitting in and stood behind one of Naruto's clones, watching as Kimimaro's bones slowly sank into his skin once more. A large bone began to protrude from his shoulder and the silver-haired man grasped it, pulling it further from his flesh.

Sasuke's container had now started to emit purple smoke. Selûne's eyes immediately flicked to it, her stomach dropping.

'_Sasuke…'_

"I will show you the Kaguya dance," Kimimaro said.

"Well what're you waiting for!?" Naruto yelled.

"You shouldn't make brash statements like that when you can't follow through," the man said, his eyes hard.

"Just SHUT UP!" Naruto yelled, running at Kimimaro. His clones threw multiple shuriken at him.

'_There's no way he can escape that!'_

With a simple swish of his bone sword, Kimimaro sliced the shuriken in half.

'_How did he do that?'_

"This bone is harder than steel. Maybe you'd like me to demonstrate just how strong it is," Kimimaro said, pointing his sword at the clones. Selûne watched as the Naruto clones and Kimimaro clashed, the clones disappearing at an amazing rate.

'_This guy is good…Naruto's going to need my help!'_

Selûne dashed toward Kimimaro, her katana drawn. The Sound ninja turned to block her attack with his bone sword. She glared into his green eyes, cursing inwardly. Naruto's real form was the only one left now.

"Now that the pest is taken care of, I can concentrate on you now," Kimimaro said, pushing his sword down so that the tip of it pushed against her shoulder. She bit her lip as the tip punctured the skin, a small trickle of blood trailing down her shoulder. She put all her weight into her katana, managing to dislodge the sword from her shoulder. With all her strength, she threw him off of her, flipping backward in the air to land a few feet away from him. Selûne made hand seals, a plan formulating in her mind. Four clones appeared, making five of Selûne facing Kimimaro.

The Sound ninja's eyes narrowed. "Clones will not work on me."

"Well you haven't seen what these clones can do," Selûne said as all four clones melted into the ground. Kimimaro's eyes widened in surprise as he looked around.

"They can surprise you when you least expect it," one of her clones said as two materialized from the ground at his feet, holding his feet in place. The other two appeared as well, grabbing him by the arms. Kimimaro struggled in vain to escape, but when he tried to slice them with his sword or pierce them with his bones, the attacks bounced off.

"It's no use. Those clones are made of solid crystal. When made correctly, their bodies can deflect virtually any attack." Selûne advanced on him, her eyes glowing gold once more. "Now I can finish this in one move."

Her eyes closed, feeling the burning power in her eyeballs as she opened them slowly. Kimimaro gasped.

"This was your mistake, looking me right in the eyes. If you had known about my clan's power, you would know that you never look an Amakura in the eye when they activate the Raifudorein, otherwise your very life force will be drained from your body."

A thin red line formed at the eye contact and Selûne felt the chakra in her increase as her technique added Kimimaro's life force to her own, strengthening her.

'_He doesn't have much in him…is he dying?'_

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sasuke's container explode in a flash of white light. She broke the eye contact and turned to face where the coffin had been only moments ago. As the smoke cleared, her eyes widened from what she saw.

Sasuke's skin was a light grayish color and his hair was longer than it had been, but still spiky as hell. She watched in horror as his skin slowly changed back to its original color and his hair shrank back to its normal length.

"Sasuke…" she whispered, her heart pounding in her chest.

She heard Naruto laughing before his normal voice yelled out. "Hey Sasuke, what're you hanging out with these losers for? Come on buddy, let's go home!"

She looked at Naruto, then back to Sasuke, who stood there staring at his hands. A low chuckle came from the Uchiha.

"Sasuke come on! Let's…let's go home. Come on, everyone's waiting for you. Sasuke, do you hear me?" Naruto's voice was becoming desperate when he didn't answer him.

The Uchiha began laughing maniacally. Selûne's heart began to hurt from the sound.

'_It's finally happened…'_

"Talk to me! What's wrong with you, have you gone deaf or something!?" Naruto was getting angry now.

Selûne's eyes were beginning to burn with tears.

"Sasuke!" She finally found her voice, screaming the Uchiha's name as loud as she could. Sasuke stopped laughing, but didn't look at her. With every passing moment, a nail was being driven into her heart. She clutched her chest, the pain too much to bear.

"Why Sasuke? You promised me…you promised me that you wouldn't let it corrupt you!"

He didn't answer her. Instead he jumped into the trees, quickly disappearing.

"Sasuke!"

She took off after him, her blood pounding in her ears.

'_You promised me…but it was all a lie!'_


	14. Her Ninja Way! Selûne's Sacrifice!

_**It is 3:30 in the morning. My head hurts. This story takes up a lot of my time. I CAN'T STOP WRITING IT! IT'S SO MUCH FUN! :DDDD I don't own Naruto! Thanks to katchile94 and Apathetic Devotion for their input and Uchiha cookies to katchile94 for guessing one of the main antagonists. The only thing is that the way the antagonist manifests themselves is just...weird and also a very big plot twist (maybe!).**_

_**I think it's a definite must that the song to play for the end of the chapter is Aerith's theme from Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, the orchestral version of Aerith's theme. It's perfect for it! **_

_**Here's the link to the video if you want to play it and read the ending as well. I think it would really add to the effect of the story.**_

_** watch?v=lxRIxovS7nQ**_

* * *

Sasuke was still in her view, but she couldn't catch up to him. Selûne channeled her chakra into her feet, quickly gaining ground. She could hear Sasuke's laughter echoing through the forest, every sound making her anger increase. The forest split to usher in light and she realized she had reached the other side of the forest to the Valley of the End.

'_This place…I know it. This is where the final battle between Madara Uchiha and the First Hokage happened.'_

She stepped closer to the beautiful waterfall situated between the two statues of the legendary shinobi, staring into the water. Her reflection looked right back at her, the eyes once again a dark blue color and her skin slightly pale. Her teeth dug into her bottom lip as she fell to her knees, the tears slipping down her cheeks.

"Sasuke…" she whispered, hugging herself tightly. "Why…? Why would you break your promise? You promised me…"

She bit harder, enough to break the skin. "YOU PROMISED ME!"

Her scream echoed through the canyon. Her shoulders shook with heavy sobs as she looked into the water once more, stiffening when she saw Sasuke's reflection staring at her from behind her. She slowly stood up, not turning to face him. There was a moment of silence before she sniffed and finally spoke.

"This is the end, Sasuke."

She heard his sharp intake of breath. "What do you mean?"

She closed her eyes, breathing deeply to calm herself. "Leave me…"

"No!" He grabbed her shoulders and turned her to face him, his expression worried. "You can ask me to do anything else, but I will not leave you. That's the last thing I want."

"You lied to me…" she whispered and Sasuke flinched. "You told me you wouldn't fall to corruption or let revenge take over. That display back in the meadow confirmed that you have fallen."

"I haven't!" Sasuke shook Selûne roughly. "Selûne, as long as I have you, I'll never let myself be lost. Please…don't destroy the one happiness in my life. I thought I had nothing to live for except for revenge that fateful night when Itachi murdered my clan and supposedly killed you, but when you came back into my life, I knew there was something other than revenge that I now had to live for. I found my light and my light is standing right in front of me. I love you... Selûne Amakura, my utsukushi…"

She looked at him then, her blue eyes smiling. "Sasuke…I can't do it. No matter how much it hurts, I can't stop loving you. You could become the evilest person in the whole world and it wouldn't change how I feel about you because…despite all that…I know that it will still be _you_ when you come to me. Not Sasuke the cursed one, not Sasuke the avenger…but Sasuke the _man_…the man who _loves me." _She brought her hand to Sasuke's cheek, tracing over the curse mark's design. Sasuke nuzzled her hand, his eyes closing. She watched as his eyes opened again, his left eye having been tainted by the curse mark. Instead of a beautiful onyx color, his iris was golden while his cornea was black. She knew she should be disgusted by what she saw, but she couldn't bring herself to. Despite his appearance, he was still Sasuke and that was enough for her. Selûne leaned up and kissed him, happiness filling her heart when he kissed back, his arms wrapping around her waist and bringing her closer to him. The lovers stood there for what seemed an eternity before Selûne pulled away, looking into Sasuke's face.

"Kurai…I love you. No matter what happens, I'll always love you."

Sasuke leaned his forehead against hers, closing his eyes. "Selûne…thank you so much for showing me love. And I don't mean that crazy, creepy fan girl love that the girls in Konoha show. True love…it seems to be a fairy tale, doesn't it?"

"If this is a fairy tale, I hope it has a happy ending," Selûne chuckled, kissing him again.

"I love you utsukushi…"

"Sasuke!"

Naruto had appeared. Selûne and Sasuke quickly jumped apart and Sasuke took his chance to jump all the way to the top of the statue of Madara Uchiha, leaving Naruto and Selûne to stare after him. Naruto turned to Selûne, his eyes wide.

"So you…and Sasuke…?"

Selûne turned her eyes downward, nodding. Naruto's eye twitched as he tried to comprehend this information.

"We'll talk about it later. For now, I need to deal with Sasuke," he said, leaping after the Uchiha. Selûne watched him go, her heart heavy. As Sasuke and Naruto faced each other, she couldn't help but think about her first meeting with Sasuke.

* * *

_The sun shone brightly as the ten year old Selûne ran down the streets of Konoha looking for her five year old brother. They had been playing hide and seek, but her brother had gone a little too far and now she couldn't find him. She was worried about him. _

_She rounded a corner and saw two boys beating up a boy much younger than them, about her brother's age. Her blood boiled._

"_Hey, what do you think you're doing!? Leave him alone!" _

_The boys grinned when they saw the younger girl standing there. "Well if you're so brave, how's about we beat you instead?"_

_Selûne's eyes glowed gold and she took a menacing step forward. "Do it and you'll regret it!"_

_The boys stepped back in terror, seeing the unnatural look in her eyes. "Screw this, I don't feel like getting hurt man!" They ran off and Selûne ran to the little boy. His face was heavily bruised and a small trickle of blood leaked from his nose._

"_Are you okay?" she asked, settling him into her lap. _

"_Y-yeah…" he said, hiding his face in her shirt. She giggled._

"_A little shy, huh?" _

_He blushed before nodding. "What's your name?"_

"_My name is Selûne. What's yours?"_

"_Sasuke…Sasuke Uchiha."_

"_Are you related to Itachi Uchiha by chance?" she asked, remembering her meeting with the Uchiha. Sasuke nodded his head, a big smile breaking out on his face._

"_He's my older brother!"_

"_Sasuke, there you are." Itachi Uchiha came walking up to them, but stopped when he saw his badly beaten brother. "What happened?"_

"_Some bullies were picking on him, but-" Selûne was interrupted by Sasuke._

"_Selûne saved me from the mean boys, big brother! She's amazing!"_

"_Well, I wouldn't go that far Sasuke," she laughed, scratching the back of her head. Itachi smirked, looking down at the girl._

"_Thanks for helping him Selûne. I'll take it from here," he said as he picked Sasuke up on his back. "I'll see you around."_

"_Bye Se-chan!" Sasuke yelled, waving wildly at her. She waved back, a small smile on her face. Now she needed to find Nobutoshi._

* * *

Selûne opened her eyes to see Sasuke and Naruto's battle had begun. Sasuke had Naruto trapped to a large rock with wire. Her eyes widened when she saw him make the hand signs for his Dragon Flame Jutsu.

"No! Sasuke, don't!"

She ran as fast as she could to intercept it, but the fire was quicker. She could only watch as Naruto was engulfed in flames.

"Naruto!"

She looked back up at Sasuke to see that the curse mark had receded, returning his appearance back to normal. He stared down at her, his eyes soft.

"SASUKE!" Naruto burst from the flames and came at Sasuke, punching him across the face. Selûne watched helplessly as Naruto punched Sasuke again and again, yet Sasuke put up no resistance.

'_Sasuke…'_

She fell to her knees, her tears stinging her eyes.

'_Why does it have to be like this? Why does fate have to be so cruel to people who try to do the right thing?'_

She watched as Sasuke kicked Naruto off the edge of the rocks and went after him, driving him hard into the ground. The ground underneath her shook with the impact as Sasuke landed a few feet away from her, throwing Naruto's weapon pouch back at the fallen shinobi.

"Only through hatred and power can I hope to surpass my brother," he said, advancing on the Amakura. She lowered her head to the ground, closing her eyes.

'_Itachi…' _

An image of the elder Uchiha appeared in her mind. From the kind loving brother figure he had been to the cold emotionless killer she had met only a few weeks ago, she could see why Sasuke wanted to kill him, but she couldn't find it in her heart to wish death upon Itachi. The memory of his kiss burned in her mind.

"Utsukushi…" Sasuke's hand took hers and made her stand up. "I never intended to make you unhappy. Just remember that I will be back for you."

She smiled at him, right before he pressed his fingers to the back of her head, causing her to black out.

"I'm sorry Selûne, but there will be no interruptions this time…"

* * *

Sasuke held Selûne's limp body in his arms, staring down at her peaceful face. Naruto had gotten up right when Sasuke had pressed the pressure point in the back of her head, witnessing the whole thing.

"Se-chan!" Naruto ran at Sasuke and punched him, causing him to drop Selûne. The Uchiha was thrown back a few feet and Naruto rushed to Selûne's motionless form, picking her up and settling her in his lap.

"Se-chan, wake up. Please wake up!" he yelled, shaking her. He got no response.

"Leave her alone Naruto!" Sasuke's voice was filled with anger as he kicked Naruto in the face, throwing him back. The Uchiha looked down at the fallen woman, his expression softening.

"Forgive me utsukushi…but I want to keep you safe."

He turned towards Naruto, his Sharingan activating. "Let me show you the true power of the Sharingan."

* * *

Selûne slowly came to, her head pounding.

'_What happened?'_

It hit her then. Sasuke had knocked her out, but before he had, he had told her that he didn't want any interruptions this time. What did he mean by no interruptions?

'_Wait? Does he mean when I stopped them from killing each other!?'_

She heard Naruto yell.

"Right back at you!"

Her head snapped to the waterfall where she saw Sasuke had his Chidori activated and Naruto was forming the Rasengan.

'_Not again!'_

She couldn't get there fast enough since her body was weakened. She watched as the two ninja's attacks met, throwing both of them back. Sasuke's curse mark activated and spread all over his body. Selûne bit her lip, her heart hurting. She watched as Sasuke used a fire jutsu against Naruto, then ran at him with the Chidori, running Naruto through with it.

"NO! NARUTO!"

Sasuke's body noticeably stiffened, turning his head to look back at the now conscious Selûne.

'_She recovered quickly…'_

Selûne dashed out to where they were, but stopped when Naruto's hand shot up, gripping Sasuke's arm in a tight grip. Sasuke cried out, moving away from Naruto who now stood there with the red chakra of the Nine-Tails swirling around him. Naruto's body hung limply, his head lowered as the wound he sustained from Chidori closed up quickly.

Naruto finally lifted his head, his eyes blood red and his teeth clenched. Selûne gasped. The Nine-Tails form had come over Naruto.

"Sasuke! I'm not letting Orochimaru take you away, you understand me!?"

Naruto's voice was growling like an animal.

'_Like the Nine-Tailed Fox…'_

"I'll break every single bone in your body if I have to. You're not going anywhere!"

Selûne watched as Naruto ran at Sasuke and drove his fist into his stomach, spit flying from Sasuke's mouth. Naruto landed many hits on Sasuke before delivering an uppercut to his face, knocking the Uchiha back many feet. She gasped when Naruto pounded Sasuke hard on the head, knocking him into the water.

"Sasuke! Naruto, please stop this!" She ran to grab Naruto's arm but he backhanded her hard, throwing her against the rock wall. Her head slammed against the wall, spots appearing in her vision. She fell to the ground and didn't move.

Sasuke broke through the surface of the water and took off running, Naruto hot on his heels. Naruto threw a punch at Sasuke, who just barely blocked it, but he didn't have time to deflect Naruto's second attack which knocked him off his feet and onto his back. Naruto's form appeared above him and Sasuke quickly formed hand signs.

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

Flames spewed from his mouth and towards the shinobi, but Naruto broke through the flame, sending it right back at Sasuke creating a ripple effect throughout the whole lake. When it calmed, Sasuke lay on his back momentarily stunned. Naruto took the chance and brought his feet down into Sasuke's stomach, driving him into the depths of the water. Underneath the water, Sasuke attempted to rise to the surface but Naruto kept his attacks up. Finally Sasuke was able to rise to the surface only to have Naruto throw him into the rock wall.

Naruto landed in front of Sasuke, who laid there motionless. He grabbed the Uchiha by the shirt, yanking him up.

"Now let's go! Enough is enough, snap out of it already! If you don't come to your senses, I'll have to break all your bones and drag you back to the village! So get up Sasuke!"

Sasuke's eyes opened, revealing the Sharingan. "Just shut up for once…what the hell do you know about it? It's not like you ever had a family in the first place. You were alone right from the beginning, what makes you think you know anything about it, huh!?"

Naruto was taken back. He had never seen Sasuke this angry before. Sasuke pushed Naruto off of him and off the ledge. Both of them landed on a separate log, standing on the very end of it in the water.

* * *

Selûne's head had never hurt this bad! She rubbed the back of her head to ease some of the pain before looking out at the lake again, seeing Naruto and Sasuke standing on the ends of two logs facing each other.

'_I'm so weak…'_

Her fist clenched as she closed her eyes, seeing Naruto in her mind.

"_I know you can do anything you set your mind to, Se-chan! You're the best!"_

Sasuke appeared then, his beautiful smile gracing his face.

"_Utsukushi…you're one of the best medic nins I know. Hell you've patched me up more times than I can count. Thank you for everything."_

Both Naruto and Sasuke appeared, their faces smiling.

"_You're a strong shinobi Selûne. Never forget that."_

The tears flowed down Selûne's cheeks, a small smile on her lips.

"Naruto…Sasuke…you two have been everything to me. Thank you…for believing in me…"

She stood up, taking her forehead protector from her arm and tying it around her forehead. Her eyes opened, shining brightly in the sunlight.

"Thank you guys…"

There was a loud boom and Selûne saw that Naruto had thrown Sasuke back against the rock wall. Naruto was in a crouched position, the chakra around him forming the shape of a fox with one tail.

'_He's unlocked the one-tailed form! Naruto…'_

She looked back at Sasuke, whose curse mark had spread all over his body, but a change was coming over him. His body was turning a grayish color and his hair had grown longer. His corneas turned black and where his nose had been was now a black star shaped mark.

'_Sasuke…no!'_

She watched as Naruto ran at Sasuke and punched him, throwing him back against Madara's stone foot. When the smoke cleared, what she saw frightened her. Sasuke seemed to have grown two extra hands. _'No Selûne, not hands. More like….hand wings!' _They sprouted from his back. One of these extra hands threw Naruto back against the foot of the First Hokage, stunning him.

'_I need to do something!'_

Selûne jumped out to the two fighting shinobi, drawing her katana and stepping in front of Naruto. Sasuke's black and red eyes widened.

"Selûne?"

She steeled herself against the hurt look in his eyes.

"Sasuke…what have you become?"

He attempted to stand but he cried out and gripped his shoulder. Selûne gasped, running to the Uchiha. She fell to her knees before him, her katana falling to the ground.

"Sasuke…what's wrong? Where does it hurt?" Her hands glowed green with healing chakra as she placed it over the curse mark. She closed her eyes, concentrating on feeding Sasuke her chakra.

His hand gripped hers, removing it from the mark. She looked at him, staring into his black and red eyes.

"Selûne…utsukushi…I wish you didn't have to see this."

"Don't talk Sasuke, you don't need to explain. Just let me heal you," she said, placing her hands back on his shoulder. Sasuke growled and grabbed both of her hands, holding them out in front of her.

"I don't need healing!" He stared into her blue eyes. "I need to know that you'll be safe when I'm gone! Promise me you won't do anything reckless!"

"Sasuke…"

"Promise me!" he yelled, driving his fist into the ground.

She closed her eyes, lowering her head. "I…I promise."

Sasuke seemed satisfied with her answer and tilted her head up to meet his gaze. "Selûne…I love you."

Her eyes filled with tears as she threw herself into his arms, kissing him with everything she had. All her love, all her soul and all of her spirit was in that kiss.

'_I don't care if you look demonic right now Sasuke…I'll still love you…'_

Sasuke pulled away, glaring at Naruto who had gotten back up.

"Selûne, get somewhere safe."

"Okay. And Sasuke…" He turned his head to look at her. "Be careful…"

He smiled. "I will. Now go."

She nodded and ran to a position just out of range so she could watch. Naruto clenched his hand and the Rasengan appeared, but it had more power to it because of the chakra of the Nine-Tails. Sasuke's Chidori flickered to life, but it was darker because of the corruption of the curse mark. Both men jumped at each other and Selûne gasped, her body moving before she could stop it.

"NOOOOOO!"

_'Forgive me Sasuke, but I can't let this happen!'_

The sound of flesh being torn was the loudest thing that Selûne had ever heard and the immense pain that seared through her body was nearly unbearable.

Sasuke and Naruto both gasped. The Amakura had moved with unbelievable speed to block their attacks and ended up taking both again, only this time more damage was done and Tsunade was far away, making immediate medical attention unattainable.

She spit blood onto Naruto, who flinched.

"Se-chan...I'm sorry..."

"Selûne you fool!" Sasuke yelled. "You shouldn't have done that!"

She coughed, a small smile coming to her lips. "You two are friends and no matter what, that bond will never break. Even if…" she stopped to cough up more blood, her head spinning. "you two meet under difficult circumstances, you will always see each other as…a friend…"

The three shinobi drifted to the ground, Naruto pulling his hand from her stomach and Sasuke pulling his hand from her back. The wounds in her back and stomach began to heal, but just before the wound in her stomach could close up all the way, it stopped. The wound it left behind was still pulsing, dark red blood trickling from it. Her back was completely healed though. Selûne laid back and rested against Sasuke's lap, her eyesight fading in and out of focus. Her eyes landed on Sasuke, who had returned to normal. Naruto fell back, completely exhausted.

"Selûne...why would you do that?"

She smiled at him, her eyes sad.

"Sasuke…I'm sorry…I couldn't…let you do that…" she choked, blood filling her mouth. "It's...my ninja way...to protect those that I love and care for."

'_My internal organs are still shredded. I don't have enough chakra to complete the healing process.'_

"Selûne, don't talk. We'll get you fixed up. You're going to be okay!" Sasuke said, holding her tightly to him. She smiled.

"I wish that were so…" she whispered. A drop of water fell on her face and the lovers looked up into the cloudy sky as rain fell on them.

"The heavens seem to lament our fate…" she chuckled, but stopped to cough yet again, blood trickling down the side of her mouth. Sasuke's eyes were filled with tears, falling down his face and mingling with the rainwater that had soaked their clothes and skin. "It's almost like a fairy tale Sasuke...except the ending is just a little bit sad...wouldn't you say?"

"This isn't the end Selûne! I will make sure you're okay!" he said, picking her up in his arms and walking away from the valley, stopping to look back at Naruto who hadn't moved.

"Naruto…" she whispered, drawing his attention to her. "He'll…be okay…I can sense his chakra…"

Sasuke breathed a sigh of relief, turning back to the forest that lay ahead of them. After walking a short way, Sasuke stopped in a small clearing in the forest. Selûne's breathing had slowed down considerably. He sat down against a tree, shielding them from the rain. Sasuke held Selûne tightly to him, his body shaking.

'_I can't lose her!'_

"Sasuke…" His eyes shot open as her bloody hand came up to caress his cheek, her ever present smile on her lips. "Don't worry. Everything will be alright."

"How can you say that?" he asked, his voice trembling. "You're dying Selûne. I don't have the skill to heal you and the way to Orochimaru's lair is still quite far. I don't know if you'll make it…"

Selûne didn't seem to worry about him mentioning Orochimaru's lair. Her eyes stared up at the leaves, watching them as they swayed.

"Sasuke…" she looked up at him, meeting his onyx eyes. "I'll never forget the day we met…"

The Uchiha blushed, his hand caressing her cheek. "I never did say thank you for helping me that day. So here is my thank you now."

He leaned down and kissed her, tasting the metallic tang of her blood on her lips. He didn't care; all he cared about was her. When he broke the kiss, her eyes were closed.

"Selûne?"

She didn't respond, her expression peaceful. Sasuke's eyes watered as he stared down at her.

'_No…she can't be….she can't be dead! Not now!'_

"Selûne!?" His voice was desperate now as he shook her violently, hating the way her head flopped around like a rag doll's.

"SELÛNE!"

Sasuke's scream of anguish caused several birds to take flight from the trees. He buried his face in Selûne's neck and wept bitterly. After what seemed like hours Sasuke stood up, carrying the limp body of the Amakura in his arms.

'_There may be a way to save her. I just have to get her to Orochimaru…'_

With that thought, the Uchiha disappeared into the darkness of the forest.


	15. Hidden Dark Side

_**Okay so now I'm on a roll and writing this chapter took a lot of thought because it reveals a lot about Selûne that may not be so good. I don't own Naruto! :PPP dammit!**_

* * *

There was a loud crash, a bang and then a resounding _thwack!_ that came from the office of the Hokage. Kakashi laid against the wall momentarily stunned, an angry Tsunade standing over him. He had returned with the unconscious body of Naruto a few hours ago carrying Sasuke's scratched forehead protector and Selûne's bloodstained katana. Tsunade had freaked out when she saw the weapon, therefore punching the crap out of the copy ninja.

"Are you telling me…that Selûne went out there and that she is missing now!?"

Kakashi rubbed the top of his head, trying to ease the pain from Tsunade's punch. "My guess is that Sasuke took her. Either Selûne or Sasuke has to have been gravely injured because there was a large amount of blood on the ground and Naruto doesn't appear to have lost much."

Tsunade's head bowed, her eyes shadowed by her bangs. Her lips trembled as she chuckled softly, holding back the tears. "Selûne was never one for following orders. I told her what would happen if she went with them. Her feelings would get in the way and compromise the mission, making it a complete failure."

"True, but think of it this way Lady Hokage. If Sasuke took Selûne, she could still attempt to bring him back through more…_persuasive_ measures."

Tsunade looked at him, her eyes wide. "You don't mean…?"

Kakashi nodded, his visible eye solemn.

"I've seen the connection between the two and it's more than just a close friendship. There's way more to it than what they say and personally, I think that Selûne is Sasuke's last tie to this village. However…seeing that it was probably Selûne who was injured and Sasuke took her, if he does take her to Orochimaru…it's possible that we may lose her to that snake."

Tsunade nodded, folding her arms over her ample chest.

"Orochimaru mentioned that he had marked her sister and was planning on making her his next vessel. If Orochimaru were to gain the powers of the Amakura clan, it will be disaster. He'll be almost impossible to defeat!"

Kakashi's eye narrowed at the Hokage, thinking about what to do.

"I think the best thing to do would be to let nature take its course. Selûne has a very strong influence on Sasuke. Whether she knows it or not, she is probably the only one keeping him from being completely corrupted."

Tsunade turned away from him, staring out the window.

"I worry about her Kakashi. Selûne may have a pleasant disposition, but the secret within her…"

Kakashi looked at the Hokage, his eye questioning. "And what secret would that be?"

Tsunade closed her eyes, a heavy sigh escaping her.

"When I was training Selûne, she seemed like an ordinary kunoichi ready to learn anything I threw at her. There was one day where we were sent on a mission to take out a rogue ninja. It was supposed to be just a low-level ninja, but it turned out that the person requesting the assassination left out a few things when sending in the mission just to save money. It was an extremely powerful shinobi…he went by the name of the Black Demon from the Village Hidden in the Sand. I remember when we finally encountered him. He took Selûne out quickly so I had to face him alone. He beat me almost to the brink of death, but before he could kill me, he was thrown into a nearby rock and held there. Selûne had come around, but she was…different somehow. Instead of a light flow of chakra around her, it was a dark evil chakra, one that chilled me to the bone. I had never seen such evil in her eyes before as she ruthlessly killed him with a single blow…"

In Tsunade's mind, she remembered seeing the expression on Selûne's face right before she killed the ninja.

_Blood red eyes glowed as the girl stood there, an evil grin crossing her lips. Tsunade's blood turned to ice in her veins. The Amakura's hand glowed with a black chakra, pulling it behind her and slamming it through the chest of the rogue shinobi. Tsunade watched in horror as Selûne ripped the man's heart from his chest, her evil grin never faltering. There was a sickening squishing sound as she crushed the heart in her hand._

"_One little rat…" Her voice was harsh and growling. She then turned to Tsunade, her grin slowly disappearing as the dark chakra around her changed back into a lighter color and her eyes returned to their normal color._

"_Tsunade-sensei? What happened?"_

Tsunade's eyes opened again, looking out over the village again.

"She didn't remember anything that had happened. It was like it was a completely different person…a darker side to her."

"Did all this happen after her sister committed her crime?" Kakashi asked.

The Hokage turned to look at him, her eyes hard.

"No, it was before it happened. She was only eleven years old at the time, so it couldn't have been a manifestation of her hatred toward Mayu. Not only that, but I think that show of power has something to do with what her sister said about someone coming back to destroy the Leaf Village."

"What do you suggest we do then?" Kakashi asked, getting up and shoving his hands into his pockets. "If it's possible that the last of the Amakura clan will destroy Konoha, then we need to stop them at all costs."

Tsunade shook her head. "Somehow…I don't think that Selûne herself wants to destroy Konoha. I know her…she loves this village very much. I think she'll die defending it from our enemies."

Kakashi sighed. "Let's hope that's the case then." He turned to leave, but Tsunade stopped him.

"Kakashi…what if she fails to keep Sasuke from falling to Orochimaru's evil?"

He turned his head slightly, not meeting her eyes.

"Let's hope that it won't come to that…"

* * *

Naruto's eyes slowly opened and blinked as the harsh glare of the sun stung his eyes. His hand came up to shield his eyes when he suddenly remembered.

"Se-chan!"

He shot up in the hospital bed, ignoring the throbbing pain in his head as he looked around, desperately hoping that the young Amakura would be there. His heart dropped when he didn't see her or Sasuke.

'_Don't tell me that Sasuke took her!?' _

He looked down at his hands, completely bandaged up now. From the mirror on the other side of the wall, he could see that most of his face and his whole body was bandaged up. His teeth clenched in anger. Naruto threw the sheets back and started to stand, but his body wouldn't obey him.

"Damn it! I must have used up too much chakra in that battle!" he growled. He willed himself to stand, but was suddenly pushed back onto the bed by Sakura.

"Naruto don't push yourself. Lady Hokage said you need to rest a while. You took quite a beating, you know."

He pouted for a moment before noticing Sakura's sad face.

"Are you okay Sakura? I'm sorry…I'm so sorry that I wasn't able to bring Sasuke back, but I'll still keep trying! I promised you! It was a once in a lifetime promise and I never go back on them!"

The pink haired kunoichi looked up surprised for a moment before her face became sad again. "It's just…I don't blame you for not bringing Sasuke back, Naruto. You did the best you could…"

"Sasuke isn't the only one that we have to get back now, Sakura. Orochimaru's probably got his filthy hands on Selûne as well! That disgusting snake has two of our best friends and Kami only knows what he's doing to them right now!" Naruto's brows furrowed into an angry snarl.

Sakura's head lowered until her chin almost touched her chest. "I know already. Kakashi-sensei told me when he brought you back…"

"Uh…" Naruto was at a loss for words.

"Kakashi-sensei found you unconscious with Sasuke's forehead protector and Selûne's katana…it was obvious what had happened to her. I just hope that Orochimaru doesn't hurt her."

Naruto kept his eyes on his hands, reliving the battle in his mind.

_The blood spattered as his hand ripped through her stomach, his eyes widening when he saw her there, disbelief flooding his mind._

"_Se-chan…I'm sorry…" She spit blood, some of it landing on his face._

"_You two are friends and no matter what, that bond will never break…"_

Her voice echoed in his mind and an image of her bloody face flashed before him. Naruto felt overwhelming guilt wash over him at the thought of him possibly being the one who just might have killed her. He closed his eyes, tears beginning to burn. Her voice echoed in his mind, her smiling face appeared in his mind's eye.

"_Naruto, from the moment I met you, I knew you were something special. It doesn't matter if you were alone from the beginning. What matters now is that you have people who love you, who believe in you. I'm glad I met you that day because you became more than a friend to me…you became my brother. I'll protect you with my life. I love you ototo!"_

'_I'm so sorry Selûne…'_

"Naruto, if it makes you feel better I'll treat you to some ramen later…how about that?" Sakura said, trying to cheer the boy up.

Even the thought of having ramen didn't faze Naruto. Sakura sighed. If ramen didn't make Naruto feel better, then there was nothing she could do.

"Naruto…I can't even begin to understand how you feel, but I'm here for you if you want to talk," she said, placing her hand on his shoulder.

"Thank you Sakura. It really means a lot coming from you," he said, his eyes looking out the window. Sakura sighed again, moving to stand up but Naruto's hand grabbed her wrist. She looked at him, her surprise evident on her face.

"Why Sakura? Why does she have to be so damn self-sacrificing!?" He was full out weeping now, his teeth clenched in anger. "If she had only stayed out of the way, she would be fine! I wouldn't be sitting here worrying if she's out there dying because of _**ME!**_"

"Naruto…I don't know what goes through Selûne's mind, but from what I've seen, she cares very much for people. She obviously cares for all of us or she would not have stopped you and Sasuke from killing each other twice."

"She puts her life on the line all the time for the people she cares about. In my opinion, that…is a true ninja," Kakashi said as he stepped into the room with Tsunade, closing the door behind them.

"Yeah and no matter how many times I have to patch her ass up, she manages to go and get herself in a heap of trouble," Tsunade grumbled as she placed her glowing hands on Naruto's chest, healing him.

"Grandma Tsunade…what're we going to do about Selûne?" Naruto asked. Tsunade didn't answer him for a moment, but when she did, her voice was solemn.

"I've known that girl for a long time. I'm hoping she's still alive because if she is, she is close to Orochimaru and I know that with her abilities, she can defeat him. That Raifudorein that she possesses is extremely powerful and is essential to defeating him because he doesn't remain in just one body. He's used multiple bodies for his Immortality Jutsu, but one thing remains the same; his soul. Her Kekkei Genkai is also key in bringing his destruction which is why he wanted to use her sister's body as a new vessel. The only difference is that if he had taken over her sister's body, he doesn't have the Kekkei Genkai that the two girls have. That is passed down through blood and he is not of their blood. So in other words, his ultimate plan will still become his ultimate failure. Naruto, we need to trust that Selûne will do the right thing. The only thing I'm worried about is that she and Sasuke are the same in seeking revenge against their older siblings, which could cloud her judgment. There is one difference between them though; while Sasuke is actively seeking a way to gain power, Selûne isn't. She already has the strength required to take Mayu down, but the thing is…I don't think she really has the heart to do it because Mayu is her sister."

"So in other words, Selûne holds herself back?" Sakura asked.

"Yes and no," Tsunade said. "In the instances that she does not hold herself back, something happens to her where she becomes a completely different person, almost an evil version of herself. The only thing that confuses me is that when this happens and she returns to normal, she has no recollection of what happened. It's like the real Selûne is trapped in her mind while the other takes complete control."

Naruto remembered the encounter with Kimimaro, realizing what Tsunade was talking about. Selûne's eyes had been gold and red while the tattoos on her face had been jagged instead of the straight lines that had been intended.

"She looked almost…demonic," he whispered, causing the other three ninja to look at him. When given a questioning look by Tsunade, he explained. "In our battle with the Sound ninja, she was different somehow. Her eyes were gold and red at the same time and those blue tattoos on her face were all messed up. Her voice was also a little too low and harsh for her."

"Naruto, that's not it…well partly. I would assume that if her eyes were that color, then maybe she was struggling for control. In the eight years since the encounter with the Black Demon, she must have gained some measure of control over this…dark Selûne. The question goes to ask: how did such an innocent sweet girl like her develop a side like that?"

Kakashi shoved his hands in his pockets. "Believe it or not, even the most innocent person can have a dark side."

Tsunade finished healing Naruto and the boy stood up, stretching his body. "In any case, we need to bring Selûne and Sasuke back! And I'm not going to rest until I do!"

"Right…but you still need to rest up for a little, so shove it," Tsunade said, hitting Naruto over the head and knocking him out. After putting him back in the bed, the Hokage turned to the two shinobi.

"Anyway, we need to be prepared for the worst. There's no knowing what will happen in the future so we need to train every shinobi in the village to be able to combat this possible threat. Got it?"

"Right," Kakashi said as he and Sakura left the room, leaving Tsunade with Naruto. The Sannin looked back at Naruto, smiling.

'_Naruto, you will be essential in the future.'_

* * *

"You've finally arrived Sasuke…and with a guest I see…" Orochimaru's hissing voice came from a person with silver hair with bandages wrapped around his head, leaving one eye visible. Sasuke said nothing, holding Selûne's limp body in his arms.

Orochimaru approached him slowly, looking over the battered and bloodied form of the Amakura. "It's her…"

Kabuto came up behind him. "Lord Orochimaru?"

The Sannin turned to his subordinate. "Kabuto, I want you to take her and heal her wounds. She will be of use to us. Perhaps then she will replace her sister instead."

"No!" Sasuke yelled, surprising the two men. "I brought her here because she is on the verge of death. I may not be a medic nin, but she still has a faint heartbeat. I'll give you anything to bring her back, even my body as your vessel. Just please don't touch her…"

Orochimaru pondered this, weighing the pros and cons. Finally he nodded. "Very well then, I won't lay a hand on her. Kabuto, take her and heal her."

"Of course Lord Orochimaru." Kabuto came forward to take Selûne's body from Sasuke, but the Uchiha's grip tightened, his eyes narrowing dangerously at the medic nin. "Don't worry Sasuke. I promise I won't do anything to hurt her."

The Uchiha raised an eyebrow at him before looking down at the Amakura's peaceful face. He kissed her one last time before handing her off to Kabuto.

"Well then…shall I give you the grand tour?" Orochimaru chuckled walking off into the darkness, Sasuke following close behind him.

Kabuto took Selûne into the treatment room and laid her on the cot, making hand signs. His hands glowed with green chakra and he pressed them to the wound in Selûne's stomach, watching as the torn flesh knitted up and closed over leaving no trace. He then took a plasma pill and placed it in her mouth, aiding her jaw in chewing it up and tipping her head back so that the remnants would go down her throat. Her deathly pale skin slowly turned a healthier color. Satisfied with his work, he left the room and locked it, not noticing the figure watching from the wall.

The man materialized from the wall and walked over to the still form of the girl, looking down into her face. His face was split into two halves vertically, one side white and the other black. He grinned.

"Well…it's about time we got her alone outside of that blasted village," the dark half said, his voice low and deadly.

"Yeah, now we just have to get her to the base," the white half said, his voice soft and gentle.

The man picked Selûne up and began to sink into the ground, taking the girl with him. "Leader will be pleased."


	16. Captured by the Akatsuki!

_**Short...hastily written...all because I'm trying to finish a game that I love playing! And I absolutely have to finish it, but I also want to keep the followers of this story updated, so I wrote this short funny chapter. I think writing Hidan and Deidara will be quite fun, don't you think? I don't own Naruto :(((((**_

* * *

"Do you think she'll ever wake up, un?"

"Shut your fucking mouth brat! It's only been a few damn hours. From the amount of damage she took, I'd be surprised if the fucking bitch was even conscious!"

There were voices in her head, voices fighting with each other.

"I'm going to kill you, un!"

"Bring it fuck face!"

The sounds of scuffling made her eyes open slightly, her eyesight blurry.

"Asshole!"

"Brat!"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

* * *

Down in his office, the leader of Akatsuki was looking over a scroll when he heard a feminine voice yell.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

'_It seems our guest is awake…'_

* * *

The two men who had been fighting shook in terror as the Amakura slowly sat up, her eyes on them. She could barely see them, but they wore black cloaks with red cloud designs on them

'_Those are Akatsuki cloaks…the Akatsuki have me? What the hell happened when I was out?'_

"Hey she's awake, go get leader." The one who spoke was a blonde guy with light grey eyes. The other guy had silver hair. The silver haired man snorted and walked out slamming the door behind him, causing Selûne to wince. She turned back to the blonde man.

"What's his problem?" she asked.

"He's always like that, un. He's just got some major issues or something. I'm Deidara by the way," he said, holding his hand out. She stared at it for a moment before taking it and shaking it.

"Selûne. You know for being a member of Akatsuki, I would've thought that you guys would have killed me already," she said, eying him warily. Deidara laughed, the sound echoing off the walls.

"Don't worry, we won't kill a pretty girl like yourself. Besides, you seem to have a friend here, un." He literally spat the word 'friend' like it left a nasty taste in his mouth. Selûne's face showed confusion.

"I don't believe I have any friends in the Akatsuki…" she said, trailing off when she remembered. "Oh…you mean Itachi, right?"

Deidara snorted, crossing his arms over his chest. "That damn Uchiha always gets everything un!"

Selûne couldn't help but laugh. Even though Deidara was part of the Akatsuki, he was cute in a childlike way. "I wouldn't say Itachi gets everything. I wouldn't exactly call myself his."

The blonde grinned up at her. "So does that mean I have a chance un?"

Selûne didn't get a chance to answer when the door opened again and the whole Akatsuki group entered.

There was an older man with creepy green eyes, a female with blue hair and a blue rose in it, a red-haired boy, a man in an orange mask who appeared to be bouncing up and down, a man who was split vertically in a black and white half, the guy from earlier who had been fighting with Deidara and a man with orange hair and many facial piercings. She saw Kisame and Itachi among the group as well, but the Uchiha was lingering in the back, his eyes not meeting hers. The man with the piercings stepped toward her.

"Selûne Amakura…welcome. I'm Pain, leader of the Akatsuki. We've been watching you for a while now."

"Well isn't that nice? I'm glad my life was nothing but a film for you to enjoy yourselves with," she said sarcastically. There were a few snickers in the group, but Pain's hand came up and there was silence once more.

"We've been waiting for the right time to acquire you and when that boy took you to Orochimaru's hideout half dead, we took the chance."

"What? You're saying Sasuke took me to Orochimaru!?" When she heard that, Selûne shot up and immediately began pulling her top off.

"Deidara, is there a curse mark on my back?" she asked, the blonde Akatsuki member blushing furiously.

"Uh…no un," he said, coughing into his hand and desperately trying to look anywhere but her breasts. Selûne wore only her black shorts and the bandages around her thighs. Her top had consisted of a dark blue dress top like Sakura's, only without sleeves. The only thing covering her chest were bandages wrapped around her breasts. Some of the members coughed, trying not to look at the girl's chest.

"Anyway…" Pain began slowly. "We've been thinking about letting you join us since you possess a great power that will be beneficial to Akatsuki. However, there is a test that you must pass before you are accepted."

"If you think I'm going to join you, think again. I know what your organization does. You're trying to collect all the tailed beasts and in order to do that, you have to find the jinchuuriki who are containing them within their bodies. I know you're after Naruto and there's no way you'll get him! I won't betray my friends!" she yelled, her eyes beginning to turn gold.

"I'm afraid you have no choice. It's either join or die."

Selûne stopped for a moment, weighing her options. Pain spoke again, this time his voice more soothing and reassuring.

"We are not your enemy Selûne. In return for joining us, we will help you get stronger in order for you to destroy your sister."

Her head shot up, her eyes flashing. "So it's a win-win situation, I see...it's better than having Orochimaru's help, I'll give you that. At least you won't try to use my body as a vessel…" she said. "Fine what's the test?"

There were low chuckles coming from the group before Pain spoke. "You must defeat every member excluding myself in one on one combat."

There was complete silence as Selûne sized up every member of Akatsuki.

'_The one I think I really need to worry about is Itachi with his Sharingan, but then again some of these guys might have some hidden powers that could overcome my own…'_

"Tobi doesn't want to fight Selûne-chan!" the man in the orange mask said, bouncing up and down as he jumped at Selûne and hugged her tightly. Selûne sweatdropped.

"You know…I took Akatsuki as a more…_serious_ group of shinobi," she said, raising an eyebrow at the mentioned Tobi.

"Well…even the most serious of shinobi know when to relax," the blue haired woman said. "I'm Konan by the way."

Selûne nodded to her and put her top back on. She looked at Pain and nodded.

"Well…I'm ready when you are."

* * *

The group stood outside in a clearing just outside the Akatsuki hideout, Selûne facing the members. Pain stood in front of them, a solemn smile on his face.

"Well Selûne, the rules are simple. You can use any weapons or jutsu you want, but if you are defeated, I'm afraid you must die. Now that you know where our hideout is, we can't let you leave."

"C'mon leader, do we really have to kill her un? We could keep her with us and she could be a housekeeper or something like that," Deidara said, not noticing the vein that popped out in Selûne's head.

"Like hell I will! No way am I going to be a damn housekeeper!" she yelled.

"Feisty little bitch isn't she?" The one who spoke was Hidan, the guy who had been fighting with Deidara when she woke up.

"Stop calling me a bitch, you asshole!" she yelled. "I have a name, you know!"

"Well Selûne, who do you want your first opponent to be?" Pain asked.

She looked at the nine shinobi and thought carefully. An idea came to her mind and a wide grin spread over her face. "Everyone except for Itachi. I'll save him for last."

Pain's eyes widened slightly in surprise, but then became amused. "No one has ever decided to take on almost the whole Akatsuki. I hope you know what you're doing, Selûne."

"Oh trust me. I know _exactly _what I'm doing," she said, her eyes glowing gold. Except for Itachi, the eight members of Akatsuki created a circle around her, grinning from ear to ear except for Deidara and Tobi who had his mask on.

"It's time to teach you a little lesson girl," Kisame said, pointing Samehada at her.

"Watch and learn, big boy," she said, closing her eyes and focusing her will. The Akatsuki members dashed at her, but they stopped suddenly, held fast by an invisible force.

"What the fuck is this!?" Hidan yelled, trying to move his arm.

"Shut up idiot! It's obvious we're caught in a trap of hers!" Kakuzu yelled.

"Selûne-chan won't hurt Tobi, will she?" Tobi said, his voice sad.

Her eyes opened again, glowing golden as she sat on the ground, keeping her head straight forward as she relaxed into a meditative state.

"What is she doing, I wonder?" Pain mused to himself. Itachi glanced at him briefly before looking back at the Amakura.

'_What is it that she has them under?'_ Itachi's Sharingan could not detect any chakra around the shinobi or Selûne, confusing him more and more.

Inside her subconscious which had taken on a dark atmosphere, Selûne stood before the eight Akatsuki members, an evil grin on her face. Her eyes were blood red and her tattoos were jagged, which made them all freak out. Her canine teeth had also grown just a little sharper as well.

"What the fuck are you!?" Hidan yelled.

"It's like a completely different version of her," Konan said, struggling against the bonds that held them.

"Hahaha so the little girl has some powers after all," Kisame said, grinning at her. "Bring it on, little kunoichi!"

Selûne began to laugh maniacally, the sound making their blood run cold in their veins. As they watched her, a horde of spirits appeared around her. Every single one of their bodies were twisted and bent at sickening angles, their bloody faces staring lifelessly at the rogue ninja. The Akatsuki members freaked out, trying to escape their bonds to no avail.

"OH MY GOD GET ME OUT OF HERE UN!"

"HOLY FUCK!" Hidan yelled.

"PLEASE DON'T HURT TOBI, SELÛNE-CHAN!"

"I'M GOING TO DIEEEEE!" Sasori screamed.

The screams of the Akatsuki members echoed throughout her mind, only the sound of Selûne's maniacal laughter drowning them out.

Back in the real world the eight shinobi had fallen to their knees, trembling violently. Sasori was choking on his own saliva, Deidara was sucking his thumb and crying, Tobi was whimpering, Konan was breathing heavily, Kakuzu was half-unconscious, Hidan was swearing constantly, Zetsu was closed up in his fly trap and Kisame's eyes were completely white with shock.

Pain stood there in disbelief, looking at the girl in shock. Itachi just stood there, watching his teammates act like idiots.

"Incredible," Pain breathed. "She took out every single one of them and didn't even have to make a hand sign…"

"You shouldn't underestimate her," Itachi said, keeping his eyes on the Amakura. "I've known her for a while and it seems that every time I see her, she has a new hidden power that astounds even myself."

"Perhaps she won't have to fight you now Itachi. Just this display of power is enough for me to want her in the Akatsuki."

"Hn."

Selûne stood up slowly, her eyes returning to their normal blue color. As soon as the last bits of gold left her eyes, the Akatsuki members sank to the ground breathing heavily.

"Okay…you win. Just don't send us back to that place again!" Sasori said, the others nodding their assent.

"That was the scariest fucking thing I ever saw!" Hidan yelled. "That was worse than the time I walked in on Konan and Leader banging!"

"HIDAN!" Konan hit him over the head, her eyes filled with fire. Pain chuckled.

"Well Selûne, you've certainly proved yourself. I've decided to not have you fight Itachi as well."

"No…" she said, advancing on the Uchiha. "I want to fight him."

"Very well…do as you wish, but even if you fight him or not, you are now a part of the Akatsuki."

Itachi approached the girl, his Sharingan eyes staring her down. "You're so foolish Selûne. You don't want to battle with someone like me."

"That's where you're wrong," she said. "I owe you for what you did to me that day in Konoha!" Itachi stood there, his face impassive.

Selûne growled and made her hand seals, Itachi making no move to stop her. "Secret Jutsu: Illusion of Souls."

'_You're using __**that **__jutsu, Selûne? It won't work on me.'_

The circle of shrieking spirits appeared around them, closing them in. When the other Akatsuki members except Pain saw this, they took off running.

"**_HOLY_**_ **SHIIIIIIIT!**_" Hidan's voice faded in the distance.

Itachi watched Selûne as she clenched her fist, the chakra building up in that one spot. She rushed at Itachi, bringing her fist back and swinging. The Uchiha disappeared and her fist struck the ground instead, creating a large hole in the earth. She turned her head to see Itachi now standing behind her, a slight smirk on his face.

"Taijutsu is useless against me, you know that Selûne."

"Then let's try ninjutsu instead," Selûne said, forming hand seals and activating her chakra scalpels. She ran at Itachi, jumping in the air and swinging her leg around in a roundhouse kick. The Uchiha ducked and grabbed her by the foot, preparing to throw her, but she managed to twist her body and grab his ankles, her scalpels cutting the tendons there. She heard a slight gasp escape him before he threw her toward the wall of spirits. She quickly dispelled the illusion before she could hit the wall preventing her from being grabbed by the spirits.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Itachi coming at her again. She flipped over him and drew her kunai at the same time he whipped around, his own kunai coming around. Sparks flew as metal hit metal, the two shinobi glaring into each other's eyes as it became a power struggle. Selûne's eyes were glowing gold again, but the slightest hints of red swirled within them.

'_I didn't want to have to use Tsukuyomi on her, but I may have to…'_

Itachi's eyes closed, then slowly reopened, catching Selûne in his genjutsu. In his world of Tsukuyomi, he had Selûne bound against a pillar in the prayer house where her family had died.

"For the next 72 hours, you will watch the deaths of your family until you are rendered catatonic." He appeared beside Selûne, his eyes full of malice.

Mayu appeared then, her eyes glowing as she held her parents down with her clones, laughing as the life force was drained from their bodies and they slumped to the ground dead. Nobutoshi then appeared, crying as he ran at Mayu. She grabbed him by the neck and threw him against the wall, causing him to cry out. Mayu approached him and grabbed him by the chin, forcing him to look into her eyes. Nobutoshi was dead a minute later.

She closed her eyes and wept as she tried to block the images of her parents and brother being killed by Mayu. She bit her lip hard, trying to focus her mind. When she felt the tug of her mind beginning to take control, she gave herself over to it completely. Itachi watched as the black and white world of Tsukuyomi dissipated and a dark red world replaced it.

'_Now I'll finally see what caused the others to break down.'_

Selûne appeared then and Itachi's eyes narrowed slightly. This was not the Selûne he knew. Her eyes were red and the blue tattoos on her face were jagged lines that looked like they had been carved into her skin instead of painted. On her lips was an evil smile.

Selûne threw back her head and began to laugh maniacally, the same horde of twisted spirits appearing behind her. Itachi scoffed.

"Is this the little trick that you used on the others then, Selûne? It won't work on me," he said calmly.

Selûne stopped laughing and fixed him with an evil glare. "What I did to them worked because their minds are weak. We're in the subconscious of my mind where I control everything. I can make it as peaceful or as hellish as I want. The fact remains is that I control this world and everything in it. I could kill you in here if I wanted to, but I won't."

She made the spirits disappear and the landscape of the world changed back into the real world, the two shinobi staring each other down.

Pain looked between the two before nodding his head. "It seems to be a stalemate between you two, but I've already decided you to be a member, Selûne. Welcome to our organization."

He approached her slowly, holding a ring in his hand. "Give me your left hand."

When Selûne gave it to him, he placed it on her little finger. "Because Orochimaru left us, his place has not yet been filled. Now you will take his place."

Selûne looked down at the ring. It was silver with the symbol for spirit, seishin, engraved in it in a silver background.

'_It's fitting that my ring would match my kekkei genkai…'_

Pain smirked. "Welcome to Akatsuki."


	17. Feelings Lost and Found Again

_**Okay people, like what the hell? I'm gone for like two days and no one has said anything about this? :((((( I'm sad now. It took me a while to write this because I had to think carefully about expanding on characters. Oh well...thank you to the followers of this story. You give me reason to keep on writing. **_

_**Oh and just a thought. Who do you want Selûne to end up with? Write it in a review and whoever gets the most votes will be the lucky Uchiha :)**_

* * *

It had been nearly four days since Selûne had disappeared from Orochimaru's hideout and Sasuke had nearly torn the entire place up looking for her. Even though Kabuto insisted that he had locked the treatment room and there had been no signs of a break in, Sasuke wouldn't listen to him. She was gone and he had no idea where she was!

'_This is what I get for trusting that half-wit!' _

He was in his room at the hideout, laying on the bed staring at the ceiling. His chest hurt from not being able to see her smiling face. Snarling he rolled over onto his side and tried to rest a little, but he couldn't. If Selûne had been here right now, he would have had her curled up against him sleeping while he watched her. It began to hit him hard when the reality of her not being there set in.

'_If only Selûne were here…I wish I could hold her in my arms and kiss her…'_

"_I can help you find her if you want."_

Sasuke shot up in the bed, looking around for the source of the childish voice. "What the hell was that?"

"_In here, dummy."_

He kept looking around, still not seeing anything. "Maybe I'm going crazy…"

"_You idiot! I'm inside you!"_

"Oh…" Sasuke closed his eyes, seeking the source. What he found was the spirit of a little boy about 8 years old nestled in his gut. "Who are you?"

"_My name's Daisuke, I'm the older brother of that girl spirit you saw in the forest, Atsuko."_

Sasuke remembered seeing the little child spirit that had been behind him when he was about to take the pill of awakening. Now that he thought about it, it had looked like a girl. "How did you get inside my body?"

"_Before you left the village, mistress transferred me into you through body contact, namely your kisses. She wanted me to protect you and help you learn how to communicate with her."_

Sasuke's head perked up. "Can I communicate with her right now?"

Daisuke thought about this for a moment. _"I'm sure you can. Just give me a moment to reach her."_

Sasuke waited for a minute, his heart beating fast. _'Please let her be alive…'I'll give anything just to be able to hear her voice again…'_

"_Sasuke?"_

_His heart leaped into his throat when he found himself in a different setting than before. Instead of that garden, he found himself standing near a large waterfall that emptied its water into a fairly large lake. A feminine figure stood in the middle of the lake, her long hair flowing behind her. He took off running toward her, his heart beating hard._

"_Selûne!"_

_He stopped before her, barely able to contain the happiness that welled up inside him. She was alive!_

"_Selûne…I was afraid that you were dead," he murmured, closing the distance between them and gathering her into his arms. He almost expected her to hug him back, but he froze when she didn't move. He pulled away to look into her face, seeing her eyes were sad. "What's wrong?"_

_She sighed. "Sasuke, why did you take me to Orochimaru's hideout? You know how dangerous it is for me to be near him. Don't you realize what the consequences would have been if he had done something to me?"_

"_I made him promise not to touch you!"_

"_Do you __**really**__ expect someone like Orochimaru would keep his word? That man is as deceitful as they come," she said, moving away from him. Sasuke frowned slightly. _

"_Selûne, where are you now?"_

"_I don't know exactly where I am, but the Akatsuki have me." Sasuke's eyes widened, then narrowed in anger._

"_Then that means…" His voice was angry. The Amakura only nodded. "I'm not just going to kill him. I'm going to rip the heart from his body!"_

"_He hasn't done anything to me, Sasuke," Selûne said, placing his hand on his shoulder. "While it may not be a good thing, they made me a member of Akatsuki."_

"_Why?" Sasuke asked, looking into her eyes._

"_They are going to help me kill Mayu. It's better than having Orochimaru help me. That snake would sooner steal my body than help me."_

"_Selûne, do you not realize __**who**__ is in that group!? The man who killed my entire clan is a part of that organization. What makes you think that he won't kill you too!?"_

_She smiled, kissing his cheek. "Somehow…I don't think he will."_

_Selûne's body tensed, looking behind her. "I need to go Sasuke. Someone is approaching my room."_

_Sasuke didn't have time to kiss her goodbye before the illusion shattered. _

"_So how did it go?"_ Daisuke asked.

"She's with the Akatsuki…" Sasuke muttered darkly, his eyes empty. "She's with that…that _bastard!"_

Daisuke clicked his tongue, his presence touching Sasuke's mind. _"I'm sure mistress will be alright. She's gotten out of stickier situations in the past."_

"Hn." Sasuke was in a bad mood. Why did she have to go so fast? And she usually kissed him before she left, so why not now? So many questions filled his mind and he groaned, a slight headache hitting him.

"_Maybe it's because she's in an organization full of killers and she needs to be on her toes?" _Daisuke said matter-of-factly. _"If you want, I can try to help you to learn some of the powers that mistress possesses."_

This caught Sasuke's attention. "Very well, show me what you can do."

* * *

Back in the Akatsuki hideout, Selûne sat on her bed. Sasuke had managed to contact her through Daisuke, the spirit child that she had implanted in him. It hadn't surprised her though; she knew that Sasuke would've probably done that soon enough now that she wasn't near him. Her door opened and Deidara walked in, leaning against the frame. When he didn't say anything, Selûne raised an eyebrow.

"Is there something you want, Deidara?"

Ever since her 'test' with the Akatsuki, the other members had avoided her like she had the plague. Itachi just plain ignored her, which hurt her just a little. Deidara was the first to approach her ever since the test.

"Yeah…what's your connection with Uchiha un?" he asked, walking over to her bed and sitting down on it. Selûne laughed.

"You really want to know?" Deidara nodded and Selûne sighed. "Okay. Itachi and I knew each other when we were younger. In fact we practically grew up with each other. When my family was murdered, Itachi's family took me in and raised me for a short time until I left for a five years mission. But before I left…" Selûne's hand unconsciously reached for the silver ring around her throat. "Itachi gave me this necklace."

Deidara leaned closer to inspect it. "What's the carving on it?"

"It's my clan's symbol. It symbolizes healing and peace. It's the first gift he has ever given me that really meant anything." Selûne's eyes saddened, her head bowing. "And now that I'm here, he's done nothing but ignore me. It makes me think that after everything we've been through, it all meant nothing to him."

The blonde scoffed, folding his arms over his chest. "Uchiha's always been like that ever since I've been here un. Acting all high and mighty around us, being so damn mysterious…he never gets in on the activities that we indulge in when there are no missions to be carried out."

"Dare I ask what _activities _you guys do?" Selûne asked, feeling herself sweatdrop slightly as she imagined the Akatsuki males surrounded by prostitutes or bloody carnage. Deidara grinned widely, making her sweatdrop even more.

"Mostly drinking games or truth or dare. Tobi likes to play hide and seek, which is SO annoying. Uchiha never joins us for them, he likes to stay locked up in his room un."

Selûne couldn't see Itachi participating in those kinds of activities either. The thought of a drunk Itachi parading around in his underwear made her snicker, causing the blonde to look at her with a questioning look. "Just a thought," she said.

"Huh…well anyway, I just wanted to see how you were doing un."

"You know, I thought you were scared of me for a while," she said, a wide grin splitting her face. Deidara scoffed, waving his hand in a dismissive manner.

"Me? Scared of a girl? As if, un!"

Selûne laughed, placing her hand on Deidara's shoulder. "Well, I suppose you must be hungry right?"

The former Iwagakure ninja nodded and she cracked her knuckles. "Let's see what I can cook up!"

* * *

The smell of cooking food wafted through the air, reaching the nostrils of the hungry Akatsuki members. Hidan and Kakuzu made their way to the kitchen where they found Selûne stirring a large pot of soup and Kisame sitting at the table watching her cook.

"What the fuck smells so good!? I'm hungry as fuck!" Hidan yelled, pushing past Kakuzu into the kitchen.

"Shut up Hidan. Do you realize how much money we spend just to keep your ass fed?" Kakuzu said, hitting his partner over the head resulting in the two glaring at each other with death in their eyes.

"Can't you guys just cooperate for once in your sorry lives?" Selûne asked, chopping up some carrots and throwing them in the mixture.

"Sorry? I'll fucking show you sorry," Hidan said, coming at her. Selûne was saved by Kisame, who stepped in Hidan's way and gave him a death glare. The Jashinist walked off muttering. "Fucking fish face…"

The rest of the Akatsuki pushed into the room, everyone inhaling the scent of food. Tobi jumped up and down, cheering about how much of a good boy he was and how excited he was to be able to taste Selûne's cooking. The sound of stomachs growling reached Selûne's ears, making her chuckle and by the time she finished preparing dinner, everyone was sitting at the table. Selûne hummed a little tune as she poured soup into ten bowls and carried it out on a large tray to the table, setting a bowl in front of everyone.

"This better be good, bitch," Hidan griped before taking a bite. "THIS IS FUCKING DELICIOUS!"

Selûne forced a smile, the edges of her mouth twitching in anger. Deidara had already polished off half his bowl, apparently enjoying it. Everyone else apparently liked the food too, until Hidan decided to open his mouth.

"At least this is better than that fucking fish that fish face Kisame made that one time."

"What the hell did you just call me, asswipe?" Kisame stood up, knocking his chair to the floor.

"Fucking fish face, that's what you are!" Hidan and Kisame glared holes at each other, the tension palpable in the air. Selûne's eye twitched.

'_Fucking Hidan! Way to shoot your damn mouth off!'_

"You wanna fight, dickhead?" Kisame said, rolling his sleeves up.

"Bring it fucker!"

"Will you guys sit down!? I'm trying to enjoy my food here un!" Deidara shouted.

"Kiss my ass, you fucking hermaphrodite!"

"What the hell was that un!?"

"Sit down and eat you dumbasses! We can't waste money by wasting food!" Kakuzu joined the fight.

"I can't eat with all this racket," Sasori said, a pout appearing on his face.

"**We should just kill them and put an end to it**," Zetsu's dark half said, his white half nodding assent.

Selûne watched as Kisame, Kakuzu, Hidan and Deidara started fighting over the table, a sweatdrop appearing on her forehead. Pain, Konan, Sasori and Zetsu sat quietly and ate their food, paying no attention to the four idiots currently wrestling on the table while Tobi had practically made a mess of his food, the soup having gotten all over his mask and cloak. It was then that Selûne noticed that Itachi's seat was empty.

"Where's Itachi? Why is he not at dinner?" she asked.

"Who cares where that fucker is!" Hidan yelled as he put Kakuzu in a headlock.

'_Maybe he's not feeling well?'_

Selûne took a bowl of soup, some bread and an apple and headed for the door. "Hey where you going un?" Selûne smiled back at Deidara before answering.

"I'm going to go give Itachi his food. It's not exactly fair if you guys stuff yourselves and he starves."

"Okay well he's probably in his room but he might be in one of his usual moods, so I wouldn't-FUCK THAT HURT!" Kisame had bitten Deidara's arm, cutting off his words. The fighting began anew and Selûne sighed, walking off into the hallway, the sounds of the scuffling men echoing throughout the hideout. She made her way down the hall towards Itachi's room, her footsteps the loudest sound in her mind. Itachi's room was the third one on the right. She walked up to the door and shifted the tray to one hand, knocking on the door. After not hearing anything she decided to brave it and opened the door, stepping inside. She closed the door quietly and looked around. It was a very simple room with a bed, a nightstand and a closet. A bathroom was attached to it on the right wall, but it was the bed that caught her attention. Itachi lay on it, his left arm thrown over his eyes. He appeared to be sleeping. Selûne smiled sadly as she made her way over to the bed and set the tray on the nightstand before turning to the still form of the Uchiha. She couldn't see his eyes so she didn't know if he was really asleep or not. Sitting gently on the side of the bed, she reached out to caress his cheek when the bedding exploded. Itachi grabbed her wrist, sat up quickly and threw her on the bed, pinning her down with his body. Wide blue eyes stared up at him from where she was, her chest watched as a heavy blush settled in the Amakura's cheeks, making him chuckle inwardly, but he kept his emotionless façade up.

"What're you doing in my room?" he asked, his red eyes boring into hers. She stared up at him, her eyes slightly fearful, but she hid it quickly.

"You weren't at dinner, so I decided to bring you your food so you wouldn't go hungry. It's not fair if you starve while they stuff themselves."

Itachi stared at her for a few moments before moving off of her.

'_I'm surprised she would do such a thing for me. She really does care about me…'_

"Itachi…how come you weren't at dinner?" she asked as she watched him slowly eat. He raised an eyebrow at her and swallowed.

"Do you not hear the racket they're making?"

'_He has a point…' _she could still hear them fighting. "I can't believe they're still fighting over the food…"

"Hn. They're idiots, what do you expect?" He had finished off the soup and was now biting into the apple. She smiled at him, a slight blush appearing on her cheeks.

"You know…ever since I saw you again in Konoha, I thought you guys were serious shinobi, but now…I see that that is not the case."

Itachi snorted, but didn't say anything. The Amakura sighed and stood up. "Well I need to get back to make sure they didn't kill each other. I'll see you around Itachi."

Before she could take one step, his hand grasped her wrist. She turned to look at him, confusion written on her face. "Don't go…stay here for a while," he said.

Selûne stared at him like he had just gotten down on his knees and asked her to marry him. Itachi Uchiha…was asking her to stay with him for a while…in his room…alone? She pinched herself, shocked to see that it wasn't a dream or an illusion. He had actually asked her. "Well…I suppose I could…"

She sat back down on the bed, but didn't look at him. He cocked an eyebrow, staring at her back. "Is something wrong?"

She turned her head to look at him, her smile sad. "I guess you could say I miss Konoha already."

'_And Sasuke…'_

'_Utsukushi…'_

His voice echoed in her mind and she closed her eyes. "Selûne?"

She smiled at Itachi, laying back on the bed. "It's been a while since I've spent any time with you Itachi. Five years is a long time."

'_And in those five years, I couldn't help but want to see you and feel your touch on my skin…' _She shook her head to clear the thought. What was she thinking!?

"I guess you could say I missed you terribly…" she said. His head perked up, looking at her relaxed face.

'_Maybe she feels the same for me…?'_

Itachi didn't want to admit it, but Selûne had grown into a beautiful woman. Her body had matured into that of a young woman.

'_Which makes her an easy target for a pervert like Deidara…'_

"I still have the ring you gave me," she said, holding the silver ring in her hand. "I've used it to store chakra just in case. It's very handy if you ask me."

"It is…" Itachi's voice sounded far away to her and she looked at him, noticing his eyes were staring at the wall like it was the most interesting thing ever. Selûne sighed, looking away.

"I think I'm going to go…goodnight Itachi."

"Don't go…" His voice sounded almost pleading. She looked at him in surprise, seeing that his eyes were no longer red, but onyx. He took her hand and held it, rubbing the top of her hand with his thumb. Selûne's cheeks flushed red as she watched him. He looked up at her, his eyes filled with emotion. "Selûne, ever since I saw you in Konoha, I've thought about you every day. I never heard anything about you in those five years and I thought you were dead, but seeing you here alive and well…it warms my heart."

Selûne couldn't help but smile. It had taken a lot for Itachi to be able to speak his mind like that and she couldn't help, but admire him for that.

"I've thought about doing this for a while," he said, moving closer to her. Selûne began to open her mouth to say something, but Itachi's mouth closed over hers.

Her eyes widened slightly before slowly drifting closed. Itachi's kiss was so much different from Sasuke's. His was gentler and more experienced than Sasuke's. Itachi's hand came up to cup her cheek, pressing her mouth harder against his. Selûne's arm came up to wrap around the back of his neck, Itachi moving them so that she lay underneath him. His body pressed into hers, the heat of him warming her against the chill in the air. The two were so lost in kissing each other than they didn't hear the door open.

"Well well…this gives new meaning to bringing someone dinner. Is this dessert then?" Kisame had appeared in the doorway, causing the Uchiha and Amakura to break away from each other and glare at him.

"What do you want Kisame?" Itachi said, his Sharingan activating as he stared the shark down. Kisame held his hands up in defense.

"Hey now, I was just checking to see if Selûne made it here with your dinner, but I see dinner's finished so I'll just leave you to it." Kisame winked at Selûne before closing the door, leaving the two alone again. Itachi glanced over at her, seeing the light blush on her cheeks before she yawned.

"Stay here tonight…" he murmured, wrapping his arms around her from behind. She smiled, placing her hands over his and resting her cheek against his. "Okay…but I need to go get some things from my room."

Itachi watched her as she walked out, laying back against the bed and sighing.

'_I can't wait…it's been so long since I've spent time with her and all I can think about is kissing her and being around her…'_

* * *

Sasuke paced his room, trying to figure out what had caused Selûne to cut off their connection so early. He heard Daisuke's chuckle and growled at him. Why did she have to implant such an annoying child in him?

"_I'm not annoying! And if it wasn't for me, you wouldn't have learned a few things, now would you!?"_

"A few things!? You barely taught me anything! Almost every single jutsu of hers that I want to learn is unique to her bloodline and it's not like I can just take some of her blood and mix it with mine to bestow the same abilities upon me!"

"_Uhhh…actually you can. That's how mistress and mistress Mayu were born."_

"Explain then." Sasuke's patience was wearing thin with this child.

"_Don't be so testy. Miyako Amakura is mistress' great grandmother, so mistress' father Takao Amakura is the grandson of Miyako. Takao married a woman of the Tsuchihara line, Maya. She possesses a kekkei genkai that is rare in this world. Remember when you met mistress in the subconscious of her mind?" _Sasuke nodded and Daisuke continued. _"That is the kekkei genkai of the Tsuchihara clan. They can manipulate people by sending their minds into their own subconscious and either torture them by breaking their minds completely or killing them there. It can be a hellish or a peaceful place like you saw with mistress. It is also a great way to be able to focus your chakra. Mistress sent you there to relieve you of the stress that the real world brings if only for a little while, but if you are not careful, you can get lost there. She didn't tell you that, but she was careful to not let you get too comfortable there. Regardless of whether or not she is not with you at the moment, she does love you Sasuke. Anyway, back to what I was saying before I got sidetracked. It is simple to be able to take some of mistress' blood and mix it with your own. You may not receive the full power that she possesses, but you will still gain it."_

"Is it possible for me to train myself to make it stronger?" Sasuke asked, his interest piqued.

"_Not that I know of. Even if you do mix your essence with hers, you are still not of the Amakura bloodline. Only a pure-blood can possess the full power of the spirits."_

"What about a child then? If Selûne and I managed to create a child, will it possess both the power of the spirits and the Sharingan?"

"_Of course. If that happened, it's no doubt that the children born between you and mistress would be unstoppable. The abilities it would possess: power over the spirits, instant healing, being able to manipulate others with the subconscious, the Sharingan, Mangekyou Sharingan…the list goes on."_

"I don't think I'm ready for a child though…" Sasuke muttered.

"_You're both still young, so I wouldn't recommend it. For now, just let me teach you some of her abilities and maybe you'll be able to use them."_

"Hn. You make it sound so easy," Sasuke said, focusing on the small child. Daisuke giggled, causing the Uchiha to lift an eyebrow in question.

"_I can't see why mistress loves you. You're so stubborn like a mule."_

Sasuke's eye twitched, wanting so hard to be able to punch the child over the head.

"_But you caaaaan't," _Daisuke said in a sing-song voice. _"You're stuck with me until mistress removes me herself."_

Sasuke groaned, slapping his forehead with his hand. _'Why did you have to stick me with __**him**__, Selûne?'_

* * *

Itachi watched Selûne's sleeping form, smiling down at her. She looked so angelic with her lips pursed in her sleep.

'_She must be dreaming…'_

He placed a gentle kiss on her lips and settled down into the bed, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her to him. Unconsciously Selûne's arms came up to wrap around his neck, pressing her body against his. He held her tightly in his arms, kissing the top of her head.

"Itachi…" she whispered. He looked down at her, but her eyes were still closed.

'_Is she really asleep…?'_

"Don't leave me ever again," she murmured. Now that he thought about it, her voice was a little slow and her speech slurred. She was asleep all right…and dreaming about him. That thought brought a smile to his lips once more. He leaned down and whispered into her ear.

"I'll never leave you again my shirahato."

His words brought a smile to her lips and she snuggled more into him. He rested his chin on the top of her head and drifted off into sleep, the memory of him and Selûne before she left the village lingering in his mind.


	18. The Darkness in Selûne's Heart

_**Okay so it wasn't a complete loss in the last chapter. There was feedback and I'm glad about that because it keeps me going.**_

_**ShadowBloodNinja- Your review actually made me laugh. I'm not confused at all, but I don't have any thoughts of a life force idea. I actually thought about having her end up with Sasuke when Itachi dies because Sasuke has known nothing, but pain and loneliness. Then again, I watched some later Shippuden episodes and saw how evil he became, so I rethought. Itachi went through a lot of pain because he was ordered to kill his clan and it hurt him to do so, so it's a very hard pick. That's why I left it up to you guys because I think it would be interesting to see who is the most favored Uchiha. **_

_**Shadows4Twilight- I plan on keeping a steady pace with updating so that this story gets going. It's still in the baby stages so this might end up being like a 40 or 50 chapter story :)**_

_**So far the votes for the lucky Uchiha are:**_

_**Itachi- 2**_

_**Sasuke- 0**_

_**Well well...I guess Sasuke isn't as popular as we thought now is he? Oh well :P Let's see how many more votes we can get in!**_

* * *

Selûne watched Itachi as he slept, a smile on her face. It had been a while since she had seen him like this. When he slept, the lines of his face softened and she could see the Itachi that she had grown up with.

'_Maybe he isn't completely gone…'_

The room was completely dark except for a single candle burning on the nightstand which cast shadows upon the walls. Selûne watched them, willing some spirits to appear. Three beautiful women and three handsome men appeared wearing formal clothing, the men bowing to the women. Selûne watched as the spirits began to dance, a smile upon her face. Sometimes it was nice to have the spirits entertain her, especially the ones that were kind. Those were the ones that had died peacefully. A small child ran through the dancing spirits, laughing as another child chased her. Selûne giggled.

'_Mischievous little tykes.'_

The child ran to the bed and jumped on it without disturbing the sheets. Even though she was in the warmth of the sheets, Selûne could feel the chill of the spirit through the material. She chuckled when the child ran behind her, hiding from the other.

"_I'm going to get you," _the other child said, wiggling its fingers. The spirit behind her squealed and disappeared, the other disappearing as well. Selûne closed her eyes, reveling in the moment. A warm hand closed around her wrist and she opened her eyes once more, looking down at the now awake Itachi. He gave her a small smile before turning his head to look at the trio of dancing spirits. He laughed softly at the sight before looking back at her.

"Can't sleep?" he asked. Selûne shook her head before watching the spirits once more.

"I don't sleep much anymore," she said as she laid her head back against the pillow, closing her eyes. The bed shifted slightly and she found Itachi hovering over her, his black eyes staring into hers.

"Maybe I can help you with that," he said in his dark husky voice before his lips met hers. She felt her body relax when his arm went around her waist, lifting her up into him.

Behind them the spirits had stopped dancing and stood close to each other, the men now kissing the women.

Selûne felt a warm feeling in her lips before it traveled to her head, causing her eyelids to become heavy.

'_Not the same jutsu again!'_

"Damn you Itachi…" she whispered when they broke apart, her eyes closing. As her control slipped, the spirits began to fade, then disappeared into thin air.

Itachi watched her sleeping face for a moment before laying her back against the pillows. "I'm sorry Selûne, but you need sleep." He arranged her so that her head lay upon his chest while he was flat on his back. Her arm went around his waist and she hugged him to her tightly, a slight smile on her face. His finger unconsciously traced the tattoos on her face, sensing the chakra stored there.

'_With all that chakra stored away, she could have almost an unlimited supply.'_

He watched her for a few more moments before closing his eyes and letting sleep take him again.

* * *

_Itachi's eyes shot open when he felt a gentle breeze across his face. He sat up in the soft grass and looked around, seeing a beautiful garden filled with fragrant flowers and luscious trees with fruit hanging from their branches. He stood up and walked to one of the trees, taking an apple in his hand and testing its weight. He found its weight to be substantial, so this had to be real. This place made him relax, remembering a time when he was happier many years ago with his family._

"_You came…"_

_Selûne's voice echoed in his mind as she appeared behind him, sitting on the grass with a white lily in her hand. She wore a beautiful white sleeveless dress that flowed around her ankles._

"_What is this place?" His voice sounded far away, almost echoing throughout the garden. Selûne smiled, her face shining brightly._

"_It's my special place where I retreat to from the real world. We're in the subconscious of my mind, where I control everything. I can bend the landscape to my choosing, make things substantial...even use this to trap my opponents and break their minds." She stood up and walked toward him, standing before him. "Itachi…there's something you need to know. I'm afraid that I will have to leave again soon."_

"_Why?" He wished his voice didn't sound so sad. She bowed her head, hiding her eyes from his view._

"_Mayu…I have to find her. As long as she still lives, the spirits of my family cry out in pain. I can't keep ignoring them because of my own selfish wishes."_

"_Leader told you that we would help you find her, Selûne. He has always kept his word," Itachi said, placing his hands on her shoulders. She didn't look at him. "I'll come with you to find her."_

_She finally looked up at him, her eyes hard. "No. This is something I have to do on my own. I won't have anyone interfering with our battle."_

_Itachi sighed. He knew that once Selûne's mind was set on something, there was no changing it. "How long do you think you will stay before you go to find her?"_

"_I'm not completely sure yet…" she said, tapping her finger to her chin. "I haven't thought about it thoroughly. All I know is that I need to find her and soon. She said something about someone coming back to destroy Konoha, but I don't know who it is."_

_Itachi's eyes widened slightly, but he froze when he heard another voice call out._

"_Selûne?"_

_The Amakura's eyes widened as she looked back into the trees. "Itachi, hide!" she whispered furiously, pushing him back into the shadows of the trees. He hid in the branches of a pear tree and watched as Selûne stood where she was, her eyes trained on him. A figure emerged from the other side of the garden and Itachi gritted his teeth._

'_Sasuke!'_

"_Selûne? Utsukushi?" Itachi stiffened at the term of endearment. _

_The Amakura turned to Sasuke, a smile on her face. "Sasuke…I apologize for cutting our conversation short last time. Deidara barged into my room and talked to me."_

"_It's alright, but I want to know something. Why did you put this Daisuke child in me? He's annoying the hell out of me." Sasuke's face was annoyed as he crossed his arms over his chest. Selûne could only laugh._

"_Daisuke seems to like you though, Sasuke. Let him stay so that he can teach you while I'm gone," she said, placing her hand on his cheek. Itachi grimaced._

_Sasuke was quiet for a moment before he spoke. "I miss you Selûne. I really wish you were here with me."_

_Itachi flinched when the words escaped his brother's mouth. So Sasuke did have feelings for Selûne. He watched as Selûne smiled sadly before turning away from Sasuke, her eyes finding him in the shadows of the trees. His eyes narrowed as Sasuke came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. This was going too far! Itachi steeled himself and jumped from the tree, landing before the Amakura._

"_Itachi!" Both Sasuke and Selûne said his name except Sasuke's voice was angry and Selûne's was surprised. _

"_What do you think you're doing, foolish little brother?" Itachi said, his Sharingan activating as he glared at the younger Uchiha. Sasuke's Sharingan activated as well as he moved away from Selûne, both Uchihas getting into a battle stance. Selûne frowned deeply as the brothers faced each other, something stirring within her. Sasuke rushed at Itachi, drawing his katana and bringing it down. The elder Uchiha blocked his attack with a kunai, the brothers struggling to overcome the other. Itachi cut his hand slightly and threw the blood in Sasuke's eyes, momentarily blinding him as Itachi threw him back and made hand signs._

"_Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu."_

_The flames engulfed Sasuke, his yell of pain reaching Selûne's ears. "NO!"_

_The presence within Selûne burst forth, overwhelming her. She screamed and fell to her knees, causing both Uchihas to look at her. They watched in horror as half of her hair shortened to her chin, changing to black and her skin grew paler on the same side. When she stopped trembling, she slowly stood up, her bangs obscuring her face. When her face finally lifted, both males took a step back. _

_Selûne's face was split down the middle, one side being her normal face while the other half was that of a woman with black hair and red eyes. Her pale skin contrasted with Selûne's slightly tan skin. _

"_Such an annoyance to be trapped in there," the woman said, her voice silky and almost harsh at the same time. "I thought I would never break free."_

_The garden around them disappeared into blackness until a new landscape appeared, showing nothing but fire and rocks all around. The sky above them was a blood red color, matching the color of the woman's eye. _

"_Who are you?" Itachi said, his kunai held up in defense. The woman laughed, the sound sending a chill down both Uchihas' spines. She pointed a finger at herself, a smirk appearing on her lips._

"_Me? I'm Miyako Amakura, the first of the great Amakura clan."_

_Sasuke froze. 'Miyako…Amakura?'_

_Miyako continued. "I've been trapped in this girl for nearly eighteen years, sealed by her chakra and sheer will, but only half of myself exists in her. The other contains the second half of my soul."_

'_Mayu Amakura…'_

"_What are you doing here? Where is Selûne?" Itachi had noticed that Selûne's half mirrored Miyako's expression, showing that she wasn't in control._

"_By seeing the two of you fight, Selûne lost control momentarily and that was when I was able to slip through the cracks. She has such a weak heart, caring so much for others that she does not pay attention to her own needs. She will learn in time."_

"_What are you planning on doing here?" Sasuke said, standing shakily to his feet. Miyako scoffed at him._

"_You are in her thoughts too much, little boy. It sickens me to see the adoration she has for you, a weak little boy who has no idea what forces he is toying is."_

_Sasuke's teeth clenched and he ran at Miyako, his Chidori aiming right for her face. Before he could strike her, her hand had come up and grabbed his fist, halting his attack. When the lightning disappeared, there was no trace of burnt flesh on her hand. _

"_What!? That's not possible!" Sasuke yelled. Miyako smirked evilly and squeezed his hand tightly, hearing the cracking of bones. Sasuke screamed and held his hand, his fingers broken._

"_It's too bad we're not in the real world," Miyako said, cracking her knuckles. "Otherwise that would have happened to you for real."_

_The woman then turned to Itachi, her smirk widening. "And you…you are in her thoughts as well. Although her thoughts of you are not as…pure as his." She jerked her head toward Sasuke, who stood there glaring at her. "It's obvious that she adores you as well. You two give her strength against me, which is such an annoyance. Since I do not possess the kekkei genkai to take over this world, you two are safe from me, but do not expect to breathe easy in the real world. The Repentance is coming and Konoha __**will**__ fall."_

"_What is the Repentance? Why Konoha?" Itachi asked, his voice calm and steady. Miyako fixed him with an evil stare, her red eye swirling in a mix of red and black._

"_The Repentance is my rebirth through these last two females of the clan, the carriers of my soul. It was I who drove the elder sister mad and murdered the entire clan, driving the younger sister to strive to destroy her. When these two sisters meet again, they will kill each other and when that happens, my soul will be released and take over the body of the younger. She is a true heir of the Amakura clan unlike her sister, who is nothing but a disgrace to the clan. When I return, their spirits will be sent to the netherworld and stay there for all eternity trapped in torment."_

"_But why Konoha!?" Itachi was losing his patience with this woman. "What has the Leaf Village done to you that warrants its destruction?"_

_Her red eye and blue eye narrowed. "The death of my beloved Madara."_

_Itachi flinched. Madara Uchiha, one of the founders of Konoha…was the lover of Miyako Amakura? _

"_Yes. Madara was my lover," she said, her voice soft now. "Through him I was able to give rise to the clan through my son Seiichi. The Amakura and Uchiha clans have already been intertwined, but don't worry; she is not related to either of you. When Hashirama Senju became the First Hokage, Madara was bitter over being passed over. He feared that Hashirama would oppress the Uchiha even after the truce made between the Uchiha and Senju clans and challenged Hashirama for the title. However…in their battle Madara was able to call the Nine-Tailed Fox to his side and fight for him. Even with this great power, Madara was defeated and killed. I was left alone with Seiichi to fend for myself and every day that passed, my anger for the village grew. I never told my son what happened to his father and eventually I left the village, leaving Seiichi behind. I wasted away into nothing until only my soul remained. My hatred for the village remained so I made a contract with an evil demon. If I gave him two souls of my own bloodline, I would be reincarnated so I could take my revenge against the Leaf Village. Mayu and Selûne Amakura are my souls, but until they kill each other, I cannot sacrifice them. So he split my soul in two halves when Selûne was born, one half going to Mayu and the other to Selûne. It won't be long now. When they meet, they will both die and I shall return!"_

_Miyako's maniacal laughter echoed through their minds. "The darkness in Selûne's heart feeds me and makes me stronger! She will make a strong vessel for me and when she awakens her Rinnegan, there will be no stopping me! The blood of the Amakura, Uchiha and Tsuchihara clans combined create an unstoppable combination of kekkei genkai that no ninja has ever seen before! The world will crumble at my feet!"_

"_Not if we can help it," Sasuke growled. He and Itachi both looked at each other, a mutual understanding putting their differences aside for now. They had to stop Miyako._

"_And what can you do, little boy? Think you can stop me with your puny weapons?" Miyako chided, her voice teasing. "There's only one way to stop me, but it's no fun if I just told you now, is it?"_

"_What if only one of them died? What then?" Itachi asked._

"_It doesn't matter. Their half of my soul goes to the other's body and takes over, resulting in my rebirth either way."_

"_We'll stop you before that happens!" Sasuke yelled. He threw a kunai at the mad woman, but she deflected it with her own. She made hand signs and sucked in a deep breath, her chest inflating. _

"_Earth Style: __Poison Bullets!" _

_She spit projectiles at him that sped toward him at an amazing rate, but Sasuke didn't have time to blink before he was struck. Pain surged throughout his body as the poison took effect, causing his limbs to burn like they were on fire. He screamed in agony as he fell to his knees. Itachi came up behind Miyako, his kunai aimed for her neck. She spun around, her hand grabbing him by the shoulder of his cloak and throwing him over her head. She jumped over him as he hit the ground, her foot coming down for his stomach. Before she could strike, he disappeared. Miyako's eyes widened slightly as he appeared behind her, his weapon going through her back. Pain shot through her body as his kunai dug deeper in, the tip poking through her chest. Her lips curled in a smirk as she shifted her eyes to meet his Sharingan. _

"_Bring Selûne back now…" his voice was deadly. Miyako only grinned, her eyes glinting with a mad light. _

"_I won't release her from my hold, not when I've worked so hard to break through!"_

_Sasuke appeared before her then, having been healed by Daisuke. His Chidori flashed as it went through her stomach, going right through. She coughed, blood rising in her throat. When both brothers retreated from her, she fell to her knees. _

"_I…won't give up control. I won't be sealed aga-" she stopped as she gripped her head in pain._

"_No! I won't let you through! This is my rightful body, not yours!" she yelled. Sasuke and Itachi watched as she seemed to struggle with herself, her blue eye glowing gold as the red flashed. "I won't be sealed again! You are nothing but a tool!" Her voice was rising with each word, nearly to a high pitched scream. _

_Her black hair lengthened to match Selûne's length before it changed back to a light brown. Her skin also returned to Selûne's color and finally her eye returned to a golden color. Selûne had broken through and sent Miyako back to the corner of her mind, sealing her back into her cage where the woman sulked. _

_Selûne collapsed, but Itachi caught her in his arms before she could hit the non-existent ground. Sasuke kneeled before her, his hand caressing her cheek. Itachi watched this before clearing his throat._

"_We'll postpone our fight for now, Sasuke. Selûne is our priority," he said. Surprisingly Sasuke nodded, his eyes on the unconscious Amakura. "I __**will **__come for her, brother. She's mine," Sasuke said, his Sharingan glaring at his brother. Itachi could only smirk. "How can she be yours when she is with me right now?"_

_Sasuke was ready to punch his brother's smirking face, but stopped himself just barely. The world around them was crumbling, Selûne's control over it slipping. The two brothers looked to each other as they began fading, Itachi's voice the last thing that Sasuke heard._

"_Until we meet again…Sasuke."_

* * *

'_Now I know what Mayu was talking about when she said that someone was going to come back to destroy Konoha!'_

Sasuke sat on the edge of his bed, Miyako's words ringing through his head.

'_When the two of them kill each other, I shall take over the younger's body and take my revenge on Konoha!'_

"_There is a way to stop Miyako, you know…"_ Daisuke's voice echoed in his mind. Sasuke cocked an eyebrown and focused on the spirit. "And what would that be?"

"_I'll tell you when the time is right. The only thing I can tell you is that it is the only way and there is a very high chance that you will die going through with it."_

"Some help you are. If you're not going to tell me, don't mention it in the first place. I need to get stronger even more now because if this Miyako threatens me as well as Selûne, I will destroy her."

"_But if you destroy Miyako, you also destroy mistress," _Daisuke reminded him.

"It wouldn't be Selûne anymore. It would just be her body…" Sasuke said staring down at his clenched fists.

"_Regardless, it is still mistress…"_

Sasuke scoffed, laying back on the bed. "Whatever you say…"

* * *

Itachi stared down at the sleeping woman in his arms, her peaceful face showing no signs of pain from the battle in her subconscious.

'_Was it all just an illusion? She isn't harmed in any way, so it had to be…so that is the source of her hidden power? Why didn't I see it before? To think that she is a carrier of the Rinnegan…Leader will want her to go on more missions from now on. With that power, Akatsuki will be able to capture the tailed beasts more easily, but I still have to keep up my mission…'_

"I need to protect you now more than ever, Selûne. Whatever happens, I will not let you die," he whispered in her ear, kissing her cheek. A small smile flitted over her lips as she curled herself more into the Uchiha.

'_Whatever happens…I'll always be there to protect you.'_


	19. Confessions

_**This took a while, don't kill me please! It was hard coming up with the focus of the chapter, so I had to go deep into the humorous parts of my brain to scrape something up. Hope it is good :P have fun!**_

_**ShadowBloodNinja- Once again I laughed reading your review. You seem to be a very funny person from what I see. I had some trouble trying to think of how to write this damn chapter, but there might be a scene later on in the story where Sasuke forces Selûne into something (take a guess) and therefore causes her to hate him. I'm not 100% sure, but I'm just throwing it out there. It'd be some nice Sasuke bashing though hahaha! Oh yes, and Sasuke should go die in a hole haha :)**_

_**Shadows4Twilight- Thank you once more :) I try hard to make chapters interesting so that people read them and think 'wow, that was really good!' which is what I'm aiming for! I might be a little old-fashioned in writing, but then again, I didn't excel in all my English and writing classes for nothing ^^ here is your next chapter!**_

* * *

It had been a week since the incident with Miyako and Itachi was restless. Selûne had been sent on mission after mission to destroy their enemies, namely random rogue ninja. Every time she came back, there were no scratches on her, which didn't surprise the Uchiha one bit. The only thing that worried him was the fact that she could come across Mayu during one of her missions. If that happened…

His whole mission would have been for nothing. His massacre of the clan, making his brother hate him…it was all part of his plan, but now that Selûne was in his life, he wanted to change all that.

'_And for what? For my own selfish reasons?'_

He had to ensure Sasuke's safety first. He hadn't expected his little brother to go to Orochimaru for power, so it changed things up a bit. After seeing the curse mark on his brother's shoulder, he resolved to remove it with everything he had to release Sasuke from the snake.

'_And Selûne…'_

He wanted to release Selûne from her destiny, but how? Miyako had mentioned there was one way to stop her, but she didn't tell them.

'_Maybe…maybe there's a way to speak with the spirits that she does dealings with. They might know.'_

Itachi turned his glare to the doorway where Kisame stood, the blue man grinning widely. "Come on Itachi, we're gonna surprise little Amakura when she returns."

* * *

Blood splattered across her face as Masami Kazuna fell dead to the ground, Selûne standing over his body. Her eyes swirled in a mix of gold and red momentarily before settling back into its normal blue hue. She had been on the way back to the Akatsuki hideout when he had ambushed her using a sound jutsu, leaving her deaf temporarily. He had used senbon needles against her, piercing her body in many places before she could locate where he was, quickly using a crystal clone to lure him out and using her new katana to slice his chest open. He had been dead before he hit the ground.

Selûne stared down at him for a moment before sheathing her katana and walking off. She had just completed a mission in finding Isobu the Three-Tails, and now all that they needed to do was send a group out to capture it and seal it. She kept walking until she found a stream, deciding to stop for a breather. As she kneeled down and washed the blood from her face, she felt something stirring in her mind.

'_You were born for this purpose…'_

Her head shot up as she looked around, trying to locate the source of the voice that had just come out of nowhere. She couldn't sense any chakra signature, so she went back to cleaning herself. Before long, the same voice whispered again.

'_The two chosen…to be sacrifices…'_

"What the hell…?" Selûne murmured, scratching her head. It was quiet once more, but a slight buzzing began in her ears and out of nowhere, a sharp pain shot through her head causing her to fall to her knees and clutch her head.

_Bodies everywhere, a woman standing in a black kimono holding a long sword. Laughter ringing out as Selûne and Mayu ran at each other, swords clashing. Mayu and Selûne holding each other as their life's blood poured from their slashed throats. Mayu and Selûne in a dark abyss, shackled to each other forever. Mayu's blue eyes looking at Selûne sadly. _

'_Didn't we always promise each other that we would be together forever?'_

Selûne's eyes shot open, her breath coming in heavy pants. "What the hell was that!?"

Her heart raced as she remembered seeing her and Mayu dying in each other's arms and that woman…

'_I know that woman! It was Miyako Amakura! But what was she doing there?'_

Selûne did not know that she had seen her own fate, but the presence inside her did. Miyako sulked in the corner of her mind, an evil smirk on her face

'_Soon Madara…we will be one again.'_

Selûne stood from where she was and started walking again, Atsuko suddenly appearing next to her.

"_Mistress?"_

"Atsuko…any news from Daisuke?"

"_Sasuke's training is going well, but he constantly threatens Daisuke with exorcism. I'm worried for aniki." _Atsuko's head bowed as she ran to keep up with the Amakura. Selûne smiled, turning her head to look at the young child.

"I'm sure Daisuke will be alright. Sasuke wouldn't dare get rid of him when he knows how to teach some of my abilities."

"_I suppose…" _Atsuko's voice was quiet as she walked by her mistress. Selûne stopped suddenly, almost causing the child to run into her. _"Mistress?"_

"Atsuko, I promised you and your brother that I wouldn't let anything happen to you two. You are like my imoto and ototo, so of course I would protect you from anything. Daisuke may not know it, but I did place him inside Sasuke with a protection spell so that he cannot be exorcised or removed except by me."

The girl smiled up at her, her empty eyes shining with tears. _"Thank you mistress! I'm grateful to have you as my mistress instead of mistress Mayu!"_

Selûne's smile saddened slightly at the thought of her sister. While she did hate her sister for murdering the clan, there was still a place in Selûne's heart for Mayu, one that would probably never go away.

'_You may say you killed the clan for power Mayu…but that's not what it really is, is it?'_

"_Mistress? Are we going?" _Atsuko was peering into her eyes, trying to discern the emotion in them. Selûne shook her head and smiled down at the spirit. "Yes of course."

The girl offered her hand and Selûne took it, the touch chilly to her hand. She didn't mind though since she was used to it. Together the two walked in the direction of the Akatsuki base, Selûne unaware of the hell that was about to be thrown her way.

* * *

_Miyako sat in the far reaches of Selûne's mind, her anger rising with each passing moment. _

'_I can't believe I have to wait just for these two females to meet again for my rebirth. If this damn female didn't have those two males to keep her strong, I would have taken over her long ago and found the other by now!'_

_She tucked her black hair behind her ear and stood up in the small space that she had, looking around. All there was in this world was blackness and no chance of escape._

'_This girl has amazing control over her mind. I can see why the Tsuchihara clan's kekkei genkai is so valuable…she really will be the perfect vessel.'_

_She closed her eyes and a vision of Madara appeared in her mind's eye. She sighed seeing his handsome features: his black hair, red eyes and strong body. _

'_I wonder how Seiichi looked when he was grown up…'_

_It wouldn't be long now. She grinned widely. 'Soon Izanamo, our contract will be fulfilled and I will be free once more.'_

* * *

Atsuko had disappeared a few minutes before Selûne arrived at the base, not wanting to be around the Akatsuki members. She took a breath before unsealing the cave and walking in, closing the opening behind her. It didn't take long before the sounds of yelling reached her ears.

'_Home sweet home.' _She sighed loudly and walked in the direction of the voices to see what everyone was yelling about now. She approached the door to the living room and hesitated with her hand on the handle, wondering if she really should see what they had planned. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door to find all the members of Akatsuki gathered in the room looking at her. Wide grins split every face except Itachi's, who just stood there with his usual emotionless façade. It was then that Selûne saw the large bottles of sake.

"Uhhhh….what're we doing now?" she asked, giving them a wary look. Deidara's grin seemed to widen even more as he grabbed her hand and led her over to them.

"We're gonna play a drinking game un! It's called 'I Never'! Even Uchiha's gonna play!" Deidara seemed triumphant that they had gotten the Uchiha to play along with them, but what made him even more smug was that they wanted to see just how much they could find out about Selûne, 'they' meaning Deidara.

"Okay…I guess I could play…it's not like I have a choice anyway."

"Nope, not at all un! If Uchiha's playing, then we definitely gotta have you in it!"

The group got in a circle, Selûne sitting between Konan and Tobi on the couch as Deidara poured the sake into shot glasses and gave everyone a glass. The Amakura looked around at the group, her eyes settling on Itachi who was glaring at his drink like it was about to explode just from his glare.

"Okay, I'll go first un!" Deidara tapped his finger to his chin, thinking of a good one. "I've never kissed a girl."

Everyone except Konan, Selûne and Zetsu took a drink. Deidara's eyes flamed at Tobi who had taken a drink. "WHO THE FUCK WOULD KISS YOU!?"

Tobi shrank away from Deidara with a slight whimper. "It was way before I came to this group Deidara-sempai!"

"Geez, fine it's my turn," Kisame said. "I have never had sex with a girl." Kisame's glass went to his lips as Deidara, Pain, Sasori, Kakuzu and Tobi took a drink. Deidara finally had enough. "This is fucking ridiculous!" He grabbed Tobi by the collar of his cloak and threw him into the closet, locking it and placing a sealing jutsu on it. Everyone could hear Tobi's cries for help as he banged on the door, but no one went to help him. The game continued with Sasori.

"I have never used a puppet to pleasure myself." Sasori took a drink and surprisingly so did Deidara.

"Are you fucking serious, blondie!? Can't use your own hand to get yourself off?" Hidan yelled.

"Shut your mouth, you fucking zealot! At least I can get some un!" Hidan launched himself at Deidara with death in his eyes, but Kakuzu yanked him back.

"Stop fighting, stupid. We already wasted enough money on this alcohol, so we might as well drink it all!"

Selûne and Konan exchanged a look before Pain cleared his throat. "I guess it's my turn. I have never had sex with a guy."

Konan took the drink, but every guy in the room stared at Selûne with shocked expressions except for Itachi. "You're that hot and you haven't been fucked yet!?" Hidan yelled again, pointing a finger at her. Selûne sweatdropped slightly before shrugging her shoulders.

"Haven't really met anyone to sleep with."

"Fuck! I'll have that right about now!" Hidan said, winking at the Amakura who flipped him off cheerfully. Everyone laughed and even Itachi smiled slightly.

"I have never kissed a guy!" Tobi yelled from the closet. Everyone looked to the door and laughed, Konan and Selûne taking a drink. "Oh sure you'll kiss a man, but you won't fuck him! The fuck's wrong with you!?" Hidan yelled again, earning a death glare from her.

"I have never masturbated to someone's picture," Zetsu's smirk was wide as he took his drink. Kisame, Hidan, Deidara and Kakuzu did as well and surprisingly, so did Selûne.

Hidan was curious now, so he changed the last question up. "I have never masturbated to a picture of someone in this room."

Selûne's blush stained her cheeks as she took a drink, scrunching her face up. "Who is it, Se-chan!?" Deidara asked, his eyes hopeful. The Amakura laughed and waved her hand. "Like I'll tell you Deidara!" The blonde sulked.

It was finally Itachi's turn. He stared down at the drink in his hand, slowly swirling the alcohol in the glass before speaking. "I have never woken up to someone's head between my legs."

Everyone stared at the Uchiha in shock before Deidara and Selûne took the drink, then everyone's attention shifted to her. She smiled sheepishly. "It was my best friend during a sleepover. She likes to crawl under the covers and I woke up to her head down there."

"That's fucking hot…" Hidan said, a blush appearing on his cheeks.

"I have never received oral sex," Konan said, her face stoic. No one was surprised when Deidara took a drink, but surprisingly Kakuzu and Kisame took a drink too.

"Who would give you head, sharky? Your dick must taste like salty balls!" Hidan shouted, laughing his ass off. A vein popped out in Kisame's head as he ran at Hidan before he could blink, hitting him over the head and knocking the Jashinist unconscious.

"Thank Kami, I thought he would never shut the fuck up!" Deidara said.

It was Selûne's turn now. She smiled and said, "I have never thought about sex with two people at the same time."

No one questioned it when Deidara took a drink, but they questioned it when she did. "Care to share, Se-chan?" Kakuzu said.

She giggled, the alcohol beginning to get to her. "I won't give names, but it's someone in this room."

Deidara's gaze shot to her before a grin spread over his lips. "I have never fantasized about having sex with anyone in this room."

Konan took a shot, but no one was surprised. It was public knowledge that she and Pain had sex regularly, but no one spoke of it…well except for Hidan. Deidara took a shot and Selûne did as well, followed by Itachi. "Who do you fantasize about, Uchiha?"

"Hn." Itachi didn't say anything else, but he gripped his glass tighter when Deidara looked at Selûne. Now it was official. The men wanted to know who it was that Selûne fantasized about and they also wanted to know who Itachi could possibly want to think about. Also, they just wanted to get her stone cold drunk.

"I have never thought about having sex with someone with black hair." Kisame stared at Selûne as he said this, watching her expression. She shot him a glare as she took the drink, her cheeks becoming slightly pink. He also saw the look that his partner gave him. It was working!

"I've never thought about having sex with someone with brown hair," Sasori said as he watched Itachi. The Uchiha stared him down for a moment before his glass went to his lips.

'_Affirmative there.'_

Deidara also took a drink as well, causing Itachi to glare holes at him. The blonde and raven stared each other down while everyone played some more.

After a few more shots, Selûne was swaying slightly. Her eyes were glazed over and a slight blush was permanently settled in her cheeks. The game ended when Konan and Selûne began giggling over a lame joke that Konan had told and the two females were hugging each other laughing.

Kakuzu dragged Hidan off to his room while Sasori and Zetsu left as well. Tobi was asleep in the closet. Itachi, Kisame and Pain sat on the couch while Deidara was draped over the chair, watching the two girls laughing on the floor until something happened that completely shocked the four men.

"Y'know Selûne…I've never kissed a girl and I've been wondering what it's like," Konan said, her voice slurred as she looked deep into the Amakura's eyes. Selûne giggled, bringing a hand to her mouth. "Why don't we try it out, Konan?"

There was a moment of staring before Konan brought her lips to Selûne's in a long kiss, her hands roaming over her body. A quiet moan was heard from Selûne as she pressed herself closer to the other woman, making the kiss deeper as their tongues battled for dominance. The two women were unaware of the audience they had, who were sitting on the couch with their jaws hitting the floor. Deidara was the first to speak. "Does anyone else think this is fucking hot un?"

The men could only nod their heads as the make out session continued. When Konan's hand began to go in between Selûne's thighs, Pain stood up.

"That's enough Konan. I think we need to go to bed." Even though the Akatsuki leader tried to hide it, he had a raging erection underneath his cloak. He managed to pry the blue haired woman off of the blushing Amakura and led her out of the room despite Konan's attempts to kiss him. That left the three men with the young girl. Kisame wouldn't dare touch her after seeing the look on Itachi's face until Deidara was stupid enough to say something.

"Hey Uchiha, I'll bet you a month's worth of missions that you won't fuck her tonight!"

The somewhat-sober Uchiha glared at the blonde, his red eyes shining in the dim light. Even though the thought of having no missions was tempting so that he could spend more time with the beautiful Amakura, the thought of sleeping with her while she was drunk made him balk.

'_Maybe I can trick him into thinking we did sleep together…'_

"Hn…we'll see about that, loser." Deidara's eyes flamed at him, but Itachi ignored it, getting up and walking to Selûne's curled up form. He didn't expect what happened next though.

Selûne quickly wrapped her fingers around his ankle and yanked him down, causing him to fall over on top of her. His face was mere inches away from hers, but she quickly rectified that as she grabbed the sides of his face and smashed her lips against his. Itachi's eyes widened slightly before he relaxed and kissed her back.

Kisame and Deidara's jaws hit the ground. Itachi Uchiha, the king of emo, was kissing a girl! Such a thing was unheard of! A low moan brought the two of them back into the real world where they saw Selûne had her hands buried in Itachi's now loose hair. Her entire body was pressed up against the Uchiha's as he broke their kiss and began kissing her neck, leaving small bites in his wake. He stopped when he heard someone clearing their throat.

"Y'know, if you two are gonna fuck…GET A ROOM!" Deidara yelled, his face burning red as he crossed his arms over his chest. Itachi smirked at him before getting up from the floor, bringing Selûne up with him. He picked her up in his arms and carried her out of the room, leaving Kisame and Deidara alone with each other for company.

On the way to his room Selûne kept kissing Itachi's throat, distracting him from his quest. When he was only a few steps from his door, she bit into his neck causing him to growl. He threw his door open and kicked it closed behind him, throwing the Amakura onto his bed. Selûne was momentarily stunned before she regained her composure, stretching like a languid cat. Itachi's eyes followed the curve of her waist before settling on her breasts which were pushed up by the arch in her back. He growled again before making his way to the bed, crawling on top of her and pinning her to the bed.

"Itachiiiii…" she said in a teasing voice, pressing her breasts against his chest. "I know you want me. I've seen your eyes following my every move, watching me, observing me…I like it."

She shifted her hips against his so that the bump in his pants rubbed against the junction of her thighs, causing the Uchiha to suck in a breath. _"I know you want me…"_ she whispered, her lips running along the side of his face. It was a feather soft touch, just barely making contact but enough to drive him crazy. Her lips hovered over his, her warm breath washing over him. _"I feel the same way too. I've always wanted to know what it was like to experience true Uchiha masculinity."_

'_Fuck what I thought before! I can't hold it back anymore!'_

Itachi brought his lips crashing against hers, kissing her with fervor as his hands roamed over her body. His right hand slipped under her shirt while his left hand busied itself with kneading her breast. The feel of her hot skin underneath his fingers left Itachi breathless, his chest tightening.

'_After waiting so many years, I'll finally get what I've wanted for so long.'_

His lips left hers as he began sucking at a point on her neck that made her breath come in heavy pants, his fingers traveling down her stomach to the waist of her shorts. He looked into her eyes for a moment, watching for any uneasiness as his hand slipped into her shorts. Her back arched as his fingers touched her _there_, her chest pressed against his.

'_Kami it feels so good…'_

'_She's so beautiful…'_

Selûne could only gasp as one of Itachi's long fingers pressed against her nether lips before pushing inside, the slight discomfort fading away quickly as his finger moved around, feeling the soft wetness of her insides. It felt better than her own fingers down there when she masturbated to either the image of Itachi or Sasuke in her head, mostly Itachi's image. Her face heated up even more when another finger joined the first, stretching her slightly.

Itachi watched her face as he moved his digits around, her cheeks a dark shade of red. She was already wet for him, so it was time for him to proceed. He pulled his fingers out of her shorts, bringing them to his face and inhaling her sweet scent before sticking his fingers in his mouth. The Amakura blushed even more seeing him suck the wetness from his fingers before he tugged her shorts down along with her underwear. She closed her eyes and heard a soft rustling sound before his hips pressed against hers, her eyes flying open in surprise. He was naked from the waist down. She smiled at him, dragging his face down for a kiss as his erection rubbed against her stomach, sending a shiver through her body. Selûne's hand ran down his stomach and brushed against his erection, causing the Uchiha to suck in a breath. She wrapped her fingers around him, lightly grasping him and moving her hand up and down. Itachi kept his eyes on her the whole time, his breath coming in small pants.

"_Selûne…if you keep doing that, I'm going to come…"_

She chuckled softly before guiding him to her entrance, but before she could push him inside her, he stopped her. "Selûne…no."

"No? Don't you want this Itachi?" she asked, tilting her head to the side in a cute way. He grimaced, the ache in his groin nearly painful.

"I do…but not like this. You're not in your right mind, Selûne. I would rather we do this when you are sober so that I know you want it as well. I want it to be _special_," he whispered, nuzzling her neck. Her face showed disappointment as he pulled her top down to cover her nether regions. She watched him as he pulled his boxers back on and blew out the candle on the nightstand, her frown deepening. He sighed as he drew her into his arms.

"I do want you, I really do. I just don't think it's a good idea while you're drunk."

She relaxed into the heat of his body, closing her eyes. "It's okay Itachi. I feel the same…but I do love you."

Itachi's heart stopped for a moment. Selûne Amakura…loved him, an S-rank criminal who murdered his entire clan?

'_How can such an angel love someone like me?'_

She snuggled into him, a smile on her face as she fell into an intoxicated slumber. Itachi lay there for a while, her words running through his head over and over. It was dead quiet in the room until…

"OH PAIN!"

Oh geez…there went Konan. He could hear the sounds of Pain and Konan going at it, Konan's cries of pleasure ringing through the halls. "FASTER!"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP! SOME PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO SLEEP HERE!" Hidan's voice joined the racket.

"SHUT UP MOTHERFUCKER, UN!"

"TRYING TO SLEEP HERE!"

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU ALL!" Kisame's voice roared out as the sound of Samehada hitting the walls rang out.

"BRING IT ON FUCKER!" Hidan was asking for it…

"DIE DICKHEAD!"

The sounds of fighting echoed through the halls and Itachi sighed, looking back down at the sleeping Amakura.

'_Oh well…those guys are idiots anyway...'_

As long as he was here alone with his Selûne, nothing else mattered.


	20. Confessions Part II

_**Okay, I am so ashamed of myself right now! It took me a while to be able to write up this chapter, but all it really is is just Selûne being a freak or whatever! And Hidan of course has to have his foul mouth! Anyway...**_

_**ShadowBloodNinja- Hopefully you weren't late for school so that way I wasn't blamed (better not have been!) haha. I believe the Sasuke bashing will come in chapter thirty...six! I'm sure you'll be there to cheer on as Sasuke gets the hell beaten out of him hahaha! I'll be there with popcorn and a big #1 foam finger for Selûne ^^**_

_**Okay, I think the perfect song for the ending of the chapter would be "Shirohae" from the Naruto Shippuden soundtrack! Go ahead and listen to it while you read the ending of the chapter. I was listening to it without even thinking about it while writing this and I thought 'damn that sounds nice!'**_

* * *

Selûne woke to the pounding in her head, her hand unconsciously coming up to hold her head. "Kami…what the hell happened last night?"

She tried getting up from the bed, but an arm around her waist kept her from going anywhere. The girl turned her head to look into onyx eyes that stared right back at her and she smiled at him, kissing him gently on the lips. It was then that she saw the state of undress that Itachi was in.

"Itachi….why are you in just underwear…?" She looked down at herself and shifted slightly, not feeling her shorts or underwear on. "Where is my underwear…?" She frantically checked the sheets for any blood. "WHAT HAPPENED LAST NIGHT!?" Selûne screeched, causing the Uchiha to cover his ears.

"Nothing happened. We…may have gotten a little frisky, but we didn't have sex, that's all," he explained calmly. At that moment Deidara kicked the door down, pointing a finger at Itachi.

"Hahahaha Uchiha is a wuss! He couldn't even fuck her last night! You know what that means, Uchiha un!" Itachi glared holes at the blonde, knowing full well what it meant, but he hadn't expected Deidara to be outside the door listening to them. "You gotta do all your missions and my missions for a month un! Sucker!"

With that Deidara slammed the door shut, causing Hidan to yell "SHUT UP FUCKER!"

Selûne sat there trying to process what had just happened. Itachi poked her in the shoulder repeatedly, but she didn't respond. She just stared at the door. He sighed and got up from the bed, pulling his shirt and pants on as well as his cloak. He walked to the door and opened it, sending one last glance at Selûne who still sat there stock still. He closed his eyes and walked out, closing the door behind him.

Atsuko appeared next to Selûne, who still hadn't moved from her position. The little child tried shaking her mistress, but she still didn't respond.

"_Mistress…if you want to know, Deidara did bet Itachi-san that he would do all his missions for a month if Itachi-san slept with you. You can stop being shocked now; it's just a bit unnerving…"_

Selûne blinked a few times before turning to the spirit child. "Oh…I'm sorry, I didn't know you were here. I thought you didn't like being here?"

Atsuko gave her an annoyed look as she swung her legs over the side of the bed. _"Well I could sense that you were in distress, so I got over it and came to you, mistress. And don't worry, you're still a virgin by the way."_

Selûne couldn't help but blush. "Yes, and it seems I may stay one for a very long time if I keep up this 'hard to get' act. So what do you want to do today, Atsuko? I don't have any missions for today, so we can do whatever you want."

"_Oh I think you know full well what I want to play, mistress," _the child said with a grin on her face.

* * *

"_Over here!"_

"_No, over here!"_

"_I'm right here!"_

Selûne smiled as she walked through a bush, looking for the three children. Their small voices called out to her from different directions, effectively confusing her. She sensed the pattern of one child, but as soon as she sensed it, it was gone.

'_Damn…these kids are good…'_

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Masumi run into a tree and disappear. "Oh no you don't!" She ran to the tree and put her hand through it, grabbing Masumi by the neck of his shirt and pulling him from the safety of the spot. "I gotcha!"

The little boy squealed and kicked his legs trying to get free, but the Amakura bound him by an invisible force. "You're going to be my bait."

Atsuko and her friend Akira heard their friend Masumi's cries for help as they hid in their respective hiding spots. _"Akira-chan, he might be in real trouble! I know mistress wouldn't hurt him!"_

"_Let's go find him!"_

The two spirit children ran in the direction of their friend's voice and found him tied up, hovering over a pit of screaming fiends. The devils had their hands outstretched to try to grab the crying child, one hand almost brushing Masumi's face.

"_Masumi-kun!" _Atsuko and Akira ran to help their friend, untying him from his bonds and jumping to safety.

"_Don't! It's a trap!" _Masumi cried, but the three were caught up in a net of chakra, one that they couldn't escape. The pit of fiends disappeared as Selûne came out from her hiding spot, a wide smile on her face as she twirled a kunai around her finger.

"Gotcha! I win." The three children gaped at her before Akira started whining.

"_No fair! That was cheating!"_

"It's not cheating. I got you two to leave your hiding spots, so it's fair," Selûne said, catching the kunai in her hand and walking to the struggling spirits, cutting the net and releasing the children. Atsuko and Akira pouted while Masumi shivered from fright.

"I'm sorry Masumi, I didn't mean to scare you like that, but you know it was just an illusion," Selûne said, hugging the little boy. He smiled up at her and hugged her back.

"_Attack mistress!" _Atsuko yelled as she jumped on Selûne's back, Akira aiming for her waist. Masumi tackled Selûne in the stomach and she went down. Then the tickling began.

"Oh Kami NO!" Selûne yelled, trying to escape their fingers. "DON'T TICKLE! Ahahahahahahaha HELP! SOMEONE HELP!"

The spirits were relentless in their assault and the Amakura dissolved into pitiful whimpers, the feeling too much for her. She brought her arm up, managing to get Akira and Masumi off her, but Atsuko still clung to her back. She reached behind her and grabbed her by the neck of the kimono dress she wore, prying her off of her back and sitting her down in front of her. The little girl smiled up at her and reached out to take Selûne's hand. Once her fingers touched hers, pain shot through Selûne's head as images flashed in her mind, her eyes closing in agony.

_Selûne lay on the ground with Mayu in her arms, blood pouring from her throat at an alarming rate, but there was no pain. Mayu had the same wound as well, blood pumping from her slashed throat quickly. Mayu looked up at her younger sister, her blue eyes filled with tears. Her bloodstained hand came up to caress her younger sister's cheek, her voice choked._

"_Selûne…we'll be together forever…"_

_Her eyes closed and her body shuddered one last time before she lay still. Selûne felt the weakness overcome her and she closed her eyes, giving in to the calling of death._

Selûne jerked her head as another vision came to her, this time more painful than the first.

_Mayu and Selûne were bound to a wall by thick black chains on their wrists and ankles as well as their necks and waists. A handsome man stood before them, but there was an evil aura around him. His hair was jet black and his eyes were red, but they were filled with sadness. Horns protruded from his head and his nails were razor sharp, but well manicured. His sharp teeth gleamed in the dim light of the abyss. Mayu spoke quietly to herself. _

"_Izanamo, hato akuma…"_

_The demon looked like he was…crying. He passed over Mayu and turned to Selûne, his long nails caressing her cheek. "Such a pity to imprison such a pure soul…we will be together for a very long time."_

"_Not if we can help it!" Selûne's heavy eyelids could barely make out the person who said it, but four people stood behind the demon, who huffed and faced them._

"_Just try to free them."_

Selûne's heart beat frantically in her chest as the last vision hit her hard.

_Miyako's face was pure anger as Selûne stood before her. "You're supposed to be dead!" she screamed, waving her long sword at the Amakura. Selûne grabbed the sword and bent it until the blade broke, metal shards flying everywhere. _

"_Not anymore…it's time to end this once and for all!" Selûne said as she activated the Raifudorein._

Selûne gasped, her fingers jerking away from Atsuko's. The child stared at her with a worried expression. _"Mistress?"_

Masumi and Akira vanished back into the spirit world, leaving Atsuko with the stunned Selûne. The child took Selûne's hand again, lightly rubbing her thumb over the warm skin. _"Mistress…are you okay?"_

Selûne closed her mouth and looked down at the girl. "Yes…I guess I am…"

The words had just left her mouth when another shock of pain went through Selûne, causing her vision to fade before she collapsed to the ground, Atsuko's worried voice crying for her.

_"Mistress!"_

* * *

_Miyako smirked to herself as she looked through the small hole that she had afforded to her, seeing the face of the worried Atsuko through Selûne's eyes._

'_The child has no idea that she is seeing her own blood-soaked fate. Revenge is so sweet.'_

_She sat down on the non-existent floor and looked up at the non-existent ceiling, reveling in the pain that shot through the Amakura's body with each passing vision. _

'_It's such a shame that such a great shinobi has to die…but then again, who cares? As long as I am returned to life, no other lives matter.'_

* * *

"_Mistress!"_

Itachi heard the small voice cry out and walked towards the source, having heard loud screaming coming from the area. What he didn't expect was to see Selûne passed out on the ground with a small spirit leaning over her, trying to wake her up. The child looked up at him, tears in her eyes.

"_Please Itachi-kun! Help mistress! She won't wake up!"_

Itachi ran to Selûne's side, crouching beside her and lifting her into his arms. Her head hung limply to the side, so he turned her so that he could see her face. The three tattoos on her face were glowing slightly, but her eyes remained closed. Itachi cautiously brought a finger to the mark on Selûne's forehead, but before he could touch it, she shot up in his arms. Her eyes open wide, the irises swirling in a mixture of gold and red. Her voice was low and almost echoing as she spoke.

"_This was doomed from the beginning. The two sisters of the great bloodline must die for the cleansing of the village. For the sake of revenge, the Leaf Village will fall. Resign yourself to your fates for no one will be spared! Darkness will reign and the Founder will create his own world…the moon…the world enveloped in darkness…morning will never come again. The two sisters…locked forever in the dark abyss…never to see the light of day again…the world will fall. Everyone…will…die…"_

Selûne's voice slowly began to fade away as she settled back into Itachi's arms, her eyes returning to their normal blue color. Atsuko sat there stunned. She had never seen her mistress like this. It was like someone else was speaking through Selûne.

Itachi brushed some of Selûne's hair out of her face and stared down at her. She stared back up at him, a small smile on her lips.

"Itachi…something's…wrong," she said, her head pounding. The Uchiha couldn't say anything. It was obvious ever since he had met Miyako in Selûne's mind that Miyako was gaining more control over Selûne's body, which worried Itachi. He turned his head away, trying hard to keep himself from looking at the woman in his arms until he felt her hand on his cheek, turning his head so that she could see his eyes. "Itachi…I think I know what's going on. For a while I've felt this presence inside me and now I am finally aware of the visions I see."

Itachi said nothing and she continued. "There is a way to stop her…" At the raised eyebrow he gave her, she smiled. "It is inevitable that I will die at the hands of my sister and Mayu will die by my hand. When Miyako is resurrected, do not try to fight her. Instead…go to the netherworld and find me. When the time is right, I will give you something to lead you to me, but now is not the time. If Miyako finds out, she will come after you in order to stop you. Now listen to me…when you go down to the netherworld, do NOT look any spirit in the eye or you will be forever lost to them. Use the item I will give you to find your way. I do not know what will happen once you find me, but when you do, you must free me from the demon who holds me. When you get back to the world of the living, you must find Miyako. The rest is up to me, but that is the only way to stop her."

"I will do everything I can to keep you from dying, Selûne," Itachi murmured, not looking her in the eye. For some reason, it was painful for him to look at her when she spoke so calmly of her own impending death. The thought of possibly never seeing her again or seeing her dead sent a chill through his body. Her hand came up to caress his cheek, tucking a few strands of his black hair behind his ear.

"I don't know when it will happen, but it might happen tomorrow, a week from now or even three years down the road. I want you to know that I love you…"

Itachi's heart stopped as he slowly turned his head to look down at the young Amakura. She smiled sadly, her eyes glistening. "I don't want to die without telling you how I feel. If you don't feel the same way, I will understand. I just wanted you to know…"

"Selûne…" Itachi's voice was low, his eyes hidden by his long bangs. "You don't know how much I've suffered when you were gone. I wished desperately to hear something about you, but it was like you had completely disappeared. Even though I left the village and gained free rein over my actions as an Akatsuki member, I couldn't go to the Land of Snow to find you. Doing that would have compromised your mission and it wouldn't have been fair to you to suffer for my selfish wishes. But now…seeing the woman you've become with all this power at your disposal, it blows my mind to think that you were once that little girl I knew nearly eight years ago. I promised myself a long time ago that if I were ever to love, I would speak of it. This is the first vow I will make, the first of many. I love you Selûne…for a long time I fought this realization from the moment I saw you again in the Leaf Village. I spoke truly when I told you I did not want you to hate me because if you did, I would be a broken man with absolutely nothing to live for."

Selûne's eyes teared up at Itachi's confession, her hands cupping his cheeks. "Itachi…I'll never let you go. I promise I will always be here for you."

Atsuko watched the two shinobi, a strange warmth filling her chest. _'Mistress is in love with two men now…and brothers nonetheless…' _She smiled when she saw the loving look in her mistress' eyes before Itachi leaned down to kiss her. _'I should leave them alone for now.' _The small child faded into the spirit world, a smile upon her lips.

Selûne sighed when Itachi's lips left hers, her eyes opening to look into his onyx eyes. "I wonder what the others will think of this," she said, a light blush appearing on her cheeks. Itachi smiled slightly before tweaking her nose, causing her to scrunch her face up in a cute way.

"I wouldn't care about what they think. As long as I have you, that's all that matters," he said, poking her in the forehead like he used to do with Sasuke. She gave him an annoyed look much like the one Sasuke usually gave him when he did that, making the Uchiha chuckle. After a moment, her face became solemn.

"Now that this has happened, I don't want to face Mayu anytime soon. Maybe we can play with fate just a little longer, don't you agree, my Uchiha?"

Itachi smiled at her. "I wouldn't have it any other way, my shirahato."

'_White dove…? Itachi, you are too sweet. But Sasuke…what about him? What do I do?'_

Selûne suddenly felt a wave of guilt wash over her. Now that she knew the depth of her feelings for Itachi, what was she going to do about Sasuke? Ignore him? Pretend like there was nothing between them? Her head began to hurt from all the questions as well as the pain that the visions gave her. As if sensing her turmoil, Itachi hugged her closer to him. "Let's go back to the base, utsukushi."

'_Utsukushi…the name that Sasuke called me…it sounds so much better from Itachi than it does Sasuke…maybe Itachi is better for me…'_

Itachi picked Selûne up and settled her on his back, her arms automatically coming around his neck. He held her thighs in place around his waist as he walked in the direction of the base, her face buried in the crook of his neck. Selûne relaxed against the warmth of Itachi's body until her Hira no Seishin detected an abnormality in his body. Closing her eyes, she searched his body with her mind's eye until she found the problem. His lungs and heart were being ravaged by disease.

'_At this rate, he should be dead in a matter of weeks! No…I'll need to confront him about this and fast! If I can heal him…he would be able to live longer…'_

Selûne didn't say anything to Itachi the whole time he carried her back to the hideout, but she did feel his head turn to look back at her. She smiled at him, kissing him gently on the cheek.

"I love you, my karasu…" she whispered, tightening her arms around his neck. Itachi didn't say anything, but Selûne knew in her heart that he felt the same way. As he continued walking to the hideout, she stared up into the sky, the wind swirling sakura blossoms around her line of sight.

'_I'll do whatever it takes…just don't take Itachi away from me, Kami. Give me the strength to heal him of his affliction. Give me strength to heal his loneliness and sorrow, to give him the long life that he deserves. A life filled with happiness, caring and a loving family…that's all I ask.'_


	21. The Cherry Blossoms Festival

_**Damn! This is the longest chapter I've written so far! It makes me happy cause it took me two days to write and I think it came out somewhat good...I think...! ****Even with all the doctors' appointments for my illness, I'm still trucking along with this story. ****Anyway...**_

**_ShadowBloodNinja- Awesome! I think that I've tried to make Sasuke seem more like a bad guy cause as he watches Itachi with Selûne, he falls deeper and deeper into anger until eventually he will break. When that happens, watch out! He will get beaten down hard! Hahaha it's too bad that I don't go to school anymore cause I graduated (even though I did like school), but it doesn't mean that I don't go to nursing classes! :D_**

**_Shadows4Twilight- Thank you for that! It was kinda funny writing the drinking game chapter (especially when Deidara throws Tobi in the closet and at the end when they're all yelling and then fighting). It made me laugh quite a bit. I'm thinking of putting in some chapters where it's just fun to take away from the fighting in the story. That way I can flesh out the characters a little more and expand on the idea of Selûne, Mayu and Miyako. :D_**

**_Need sleep...snorrrrre...GO ITACHI! YOU DA MAN! :D_**

* * *

"So what do you say un?" Deidara asked, his blonde eyebrows wagging at the Amakura.

"You want me" Selûne pointed to herself. "…to go to the Cherry Blossoms Festival…with you?" Selûne asked, utter disbelief in her voice as she pointed at him. "Okay, I just want to say this. Why is it that the Akatsuki, who are supposed to be the most terrifying and most powerful organization in the ninja world, recruited a bunch of idiots!?"

Deidara tilted his head in a questioning way and she continued. "First off, all you guys do is fight! I mean come on! You guys act like children most of the time! It makes me feel like I should mother you all like the babies you are!"

Deidara scratched his head sheepishly before looking at her again. "So do you wanna be my date?"

Selûne threw her hands up in the air in a fit of rage. "NO! I don't have time for a festival when there are missions to be done!" At that moment, Itachi came around the corner from where he had been listening in on their conversation, a smirk on his face.

"Would you think about going with me then?" he asked, his arms crossed over his chest. Selûne dropped her hands and smiled at him.

"That sounds nice, Itachi.'

Deidara began sputtering and pointing his finger at Itachi. "W-w-what!? You'll say no to me, but you'll immediately say yes to Uchiha!? What the hell?"

Selûne laughed, patting Deidara's cheek. "Awww, it's nothing against you Deidara. I just think Itachi would be a better person to go with because I know he won't try to take advantage of me afterwards."

The blonde turned as red as a tomato before he muttered something about going off to create some bombs for Pain and left. The Amakura turned to Itachi, the corner of her mouth twitching slightly in annoyance. "I could've handled that, you know. Now he probably knows how we feel about each other."

Itachi chuckled and wrapped her arms around her waist, hugging her from behind. "Like I care. It'll just keep him away from you now."

Selûne couldn't help but smile and lean back into his chest, relaxing into the warmth of his body. "So when is this festival?"

"Tonight in Konoha," he said, his nose in her hair. "Leader gave us the day off so we could go, but we have to be in disguise."

"What about me? Should I be in disguise too?" she asked. She felt him shake his head slightly.

"Leader wants you to go there as you are and stay there for a while. He wants you to keep an eye on Naruto and report to us any occurrences within the village."

Selûne's eyes became downcast. "So I have to spy on the village that is my home…" Itachi didn't say anything; he just held her. She pulled away from him and faced him, her eyes hard. "Itachi…when were you going to tell me that you were sick?"

His eyes widened for a moment before settling back into their normal emotionless state. "How did you…?"

She smiled at him. "You forget about my clan's kekkei genkai, the Healer's Spirit. I can sense any disease or abnormality in a person when I touch them, so when you carried me on your back yesterday, I could sense and then see the disease eating away at your heart and lungs."

Itachi didn't say anything. He looked away from the girl, hiding the look of despair in his eyes. "There's no cure for it and all I do is take medicine to keep it from killing me prematurely."

She sighed softly, calling forth a few spirits to hold Itachi in place. She could hear his grunt of surprise when their hands grabbed him and held him in his spot, the sounds of him struggling the only sound in the room. Selûne turned to him slowly, her eyes flashing gold and her hands glowing a soft red. Itachi watched her approach him warily, no longer struggling after realizing he couldn't escape. When she was right in front of him, she smiled.

"Forgive me Itachi, but I will not let you die."

She pressed her palms to his chest and Itachi's eyes widened as her hands began to sink into his flesh. Her hands reached his lungs and took a light hold of them, causing the Uchiha to shiver slightly. He felt a warmth begin to spread throughout his chest, bringing relief to the slight burning in his lungs. After a moment, she brought her hands closer together so that her fingers touched his heart. Her eyes flashed as she healed the damage to his heart, the disease leaving him and going through her. She felt a great weakness in her momentarily before it disappeared, the Healer's Spirit casting it away. The Amakura sighed as she pulled her hands from her lover's chest, relief flooding her entire being. His disease was gone.

"It's done…you're cured," she said, a smile slowly coming to her lips. Itachi stood there for a moment before leaning in to kiss her, his lips warm against her own. Her hand came up to cup his cheek momentarily before he pulled away, his Sharingan eyes staring into hers. "This is the greatest gift you could have ever given me, shirahato. You've given me my life back."

Selûne blushed, wrapping her arms around his neck. "How about we go get ready for this festival then?"

* * *

The sky was a myriad of warm colors as the sun was slowly going down, the fading sunlight revealing Selûne standing outside the Akatsuki hideout in her outfit. She had on a pure white yukata with red and pink sakura blossoms going up the front and a red obi tied around her waist while wooden sandals were on her feet. The ring that Itachi had given her five years ago rested on her chest.

Three spirit geishas flitted around her, applying light makeup to her face and brushing her hair out. When they finished, they bowed before her and vanished. A rustling from the nearby bushes reached her ears as Itachi appeared from the shadows of the trees, still in his Akatsuki cloak. Selûne lifted an eyebrow at him, but he shrugged. "I'm going to be in disguise so I don't see any reason to have to change out of my clothes."

She sighed, but still smiled at him. "Shall we be off then?"

He smirked at her, giving her a quick kiss before he motioned for her to climb on his back. She climbed on and he hooked his arms under her thighs as her arms went around his neck before he took off. The trees flew by them quickly, Itachi effortlessly avoiding any hanging limbs. Selûne rested her head against his back and smiled when she couldn't sense any abnormality in his body. She really had cured him of his disease.

'_At this rate we'll be at Konoha in less than half an hour…'_

She yawned and closed her eyes, falling asleep to the gentle rise of Itachi's shoulders as he jumped.

_Selûne stood in a dark room, the only light coming from a candle in the corner. The only sound she could hear was her light breathing. _

_Footsteps rang out and she turned to the source, her eyes widening at the person who appeared before her._

"_So it seems you have finally made it into my lair," Miyako said, her red eyes glowing in the dark. Selûne took a step back, getting into a fighting stance._

"_Where am I?" she asked, keeping her eyes on Miyako. The woman smirked and shrugged her shoulders slightly. _

"_This is where I lurk in the darkest corners of your mind; banished is more like it. Your mind is strong enough to keep me from surfacing, but not enough to keep me from showing you your fate."_

_Selûne sucked in a breath. "Why have you brought me here? There's no way I would have come here of my own free will."_

_The elder Amakura smiled, her elongated canine teeth glinting in the dim light. "You're here because I wished it. I want to know a little more about the person who will become my eternal vessel."_

_Selûne snorted in an unladylike manner, crossing her arms over her chest. "If you wanted to know more about me, you could have just gone through my memories. It's not like I'm going to tell you anything now that I know what your plans are."_

"_Come now…don't be like that. We are kin, you know…in exchange for telling me about yourself, I'll tell you a little about myself." Miyako's smile became soft and almost genuine, but Selûne knew it was fake. Still, she decided to play along with Miyako._

"_Fine. Let's start with you then, Miyako."_

_The woman smirked and sat down on the floor, crossing her legs in front of her as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Very well…I was born twenty years before the Leaf Village was founded into the Amakura clan. My mother was Ai Senju and my father was Hajime Amakura, both great shinobi of their respective clans. In this case, I will say that you are related to the Senju clan and other words, related to your sensei Tsunade."_

"_But you and Madara Uchiha had a child…does that mean I am related to Sasuke and Itachi then?" Selûne asked, her heart pounding against her chest._

_Miyako shook her head. "Madara is not an ancestor of either of them, so don't worry your pretty little head. Now where was I? Oh yes…my sister Otohime and I were the pride of the then small Amakura clan. We grew up together and were very happy until a tragedy befell the clan. Our parents were killed in the war and we were orphaned, left to fend for ourselves in the harsh world. Hashirama Senju took us in since he was our mother's cousin and soon after that, I met Madara. By that time, Madara had already activated his Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan and was pronounced the leader of the Uchiha clan. Most people thought him cold-hearted, but I saw Madara for who he really was: a lonely man who had lost his brother and wanted to be loved. I gave him that love and soon after that, I was pregnant with Seiichi. However…Madara was passed over for the position of Hokage by his own clan when the Leaf Village was founded and Hashirama became Hokage instead. Instead of supporting Hashirama, I went against him and fled with Madara from the village, plotting to take over the leadership of the village with him. The battle ensued between the two and Madara was defeated even with the help of the Kyuubi…I witnessed Madara's defeat at Hashirama's hands and it nearly tore me apart. I gave birth to Seiichi a few months later and left him in the care of Konoha before I left, never to come back again. There was nothing for me there except for Otohime, but she had married into the Senju clan and they knew my love for Madara, so they shunned me. Everyone did except for Otohime…I loved my sister very much, but in the end I chose my love for Madara over her. I wandered aimlessly for months until I wasted away into nothing, my hatred for the village growing with every day that passed. When all that remained was my will, I made a contract with a demon known as Izanamo. If I gave him two souls of my bloodline, he would have me resurrected and the two souls will be given to him for all eternity. He also promised to grant me great power in order to take down the Leaf Village as well as resurrect Madara for me. I will be honest with you for once, dear Selûne. It does pain me that I have to sacrifice two of my own descendants, but it is necessary. The Leaf Village is an evil place that casts out people who have become too powerful. When you reach a level in power that exceeds comprehension, they will cast you out like a leper. Even if everyone in the village knows and respects you, their attitudes will change in the blink of an eye."_

_Selûne blinked, trying to comprehend this. "So basically what you're telling me is that I should believe you that the village is evil and that it truly needs to be destroyed?"_

_Miyako nodded, her eyes hard. "Konoha is a village full of villians and hypocrites. If they had any sense, they would not have cast out some of their best shinobi. Like Kakashi Hatake's father…he risked a mission to save the lives of his comrades, causing the mission to fail. It is an admirable trait to be a life saver, but do you know what they did? They disgraced him! He chose the lives of his comrades over the village itself and they turned their back on him! Sakumo took his own life because of the village! Tell me where there is any fairness in that!"_

_Selûne could feel the heat of Miyako's anger in the air. Her lip curled up in a snarl, her eyes turning golden in the darkness. "It cost Konoha dearly in the war! Sure it wasn't just of them to disgrace him like they did, but because of what he did, Konoha suffered. The lives of a few people over a whole village, of course they're going to choose the village over the comrades!"_

"_You are just like them! I can see there is no changing the way you view the village! Die then with the village! I will be seeing you again soon!" Miyako screamed as she vanished._

Selûne's head shot up, her eyes wide. Itachi was sitting next to her, staring at her with a concerned look. "Are you alright, Selûne?"

The Amakura nodded, holding her head. "Yeah…I'm okay, Itachi."

He moved away from her, looking in the direction of the village. "We're here, now I just need to create a disguise and we'll be alright."

She watched him as he made hand signs and disappeared in a puff of smoke, reappearing as a young man with long silver hair tied back and light blue eyes wearing long gray shorts and a high collared short sleeve black shirt. Selûne smiled at him as he took her hand in his, causing her to rise from the ground and into his arms. Itachi smiled back at her, the disguise making him look more handsome.

"Call me Ryokan," he whispered as he bent to kiss her. Selûne melted into his arms, lost in the moment. The two didn't break apart until they heard the sound of someone clearing their throat, Itachi looking past Selûne to see an ANBU standing behind her.

"What is your business here in the Leaf Village?"

Selûne knew that if she turned to face the ANBU that he would recognize her and people would be swarmed around them, but she knew how much the Leaf Village trusted outsiders after Orochimaru's attack so she had no choice. She turned to face the man and heard a small gasp as he took a step back.

"Lady Amakura, you've returned! Lady Hokage will be pleased to hear you're safe!"

Selûne sighed. "Oh great, now my sensei is going to be brought into this…"

The ANBU chuckled slightly before turning to Itachi, or Ryokan. "Who might you be, outsider?"

"My name is Ryokan. I hail from the Village Hidden in the Mist," Itachi said, his voice remaining the same. The ANBU stared at him for a moment before crossing his arms over his chest, giving a slight nod.

"I'll let you slide this one time because Lady Amakura is with you, but don't expect a friendlier welcome if you are alone next time."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Itachi muttered, looking away from the man. The ANBU turned back to Selûne, his hand outstretched.

"Lady Amakura, Lady Hokage will want to see you in her office. It's imperative that you come with me."

"B-but we're just going to the Cherry Blossoms Festival. Can't she meet me there or something?" Selûne asked, placing her hands on her hips and giving the man her best glare. Itachi chuckled and leaned down to whisper in her ear.

"The festival doesn't start for another three hours, shirahato. Let's just see what your sensei wants to say." Selûne huffed and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Fine, but if she goes off on one of her irrelevant tangents, we're leaving."

"I'm afraid I'll have to escort you, Lady Amakura. Security is getting tighter these days ever since Orochimaru's assault and the appearance of the Akatsuki in the village."

Selûne felt Itachi stiffen behind her and she sighed. "Fine, we'll go with you."

* * *

Tsunade was asleep on her desk when the three came into her office, drool pooling onto the papers scattered over the surface. Selûne laughed softly.

"This doesn't surprise me one bit. I can take care of this from here," she said to the ANBU, who bowed and walked out of the room. Itachi watched as the Amakura walked over to the sleeping blonde and stood before her, watching her sleep. After a moment, she slammed her hands down hard on either side of Tsunade's head, causing the Hokage to shoot up in her chair yelling.

"WHAT THE HELL!? THIS BETTER BE IMPORT-" Tsunade cut herself off when she saw Selûne standing there with a big smile on her face.

"Hello Tsunade-sensei."

The Sannin stared dumbly at her student for a moment before pinching her arm. After realizing it was not a dream, she threw herself out of the chair and gave the Amakura a big bear hug.

"You're back you little brat!" she yelled, nearly crushing Selûne in her tight grip. "Where have you been!? Everyone's been worried sick and I've been without my head medic for a while!"

"It's only been a few weeks, Tsunade-sensei," Selûne choked as she tried to escape Tsunade's arms. "Can you…let me…go? Can't…breathe…!"

"Oh yeah." Tsunade dropped Selûne to the ground where the Amakura fell in a heap, her limbs twitching comically. The Sannin's attention turned to Itachi, her hands going to her hips. "And who might you be? I'm surprised to see another man with Selûne after Sasuke left, so you must have either met her on her travels or rescued her from Sasuke."

Itachi bowed respectfully. "My name is Ryokan and you are correct. I rescued Selûne from Sasuke before Orochimaru could place his curse mark on her."

Tsunade smirked before walking up and standing beside Itachi, giving Selûne a lecherous look. "I'll say this Selûne, you sure do get some pretty good-looking men. It makes me wonder how they are in bed," she said, wagging her eyebrows at the girl, who immediately shot up with a dark blush on her cheeks.

"Tsunade-sensei! It's not like that at all! I'm…still pure," she said, turning her head away, the blush deepening.

"Whatever you say brat. Now then, let's hear it. Where have you been this whole time?"

Selûne looked to Itachi who shook his head, mouthing the word 'no'. Tsunade didn't see him do it as she stared her student down. Selûne thought up a lie and quickly. "Let's just say Ryokan and I were lying low until Orochimaru and Sasuke stopped looking for us. It was too risky to return to the village because if I did, Sasuke would have gone crazy and killed people just to get me back."

The Hokage nodded, her arms folding over her large chest. Selûne continued. "Also…there's something I need to talk to you about, sensei. Alone." She shot Itachi a look that clearly said 'get out', but he didn't move. Tsunade looked at the young man behind her and gave him one of her famous glares, which finally made Itachi move to the door. He cast one last glance at the two women before he closed the door behind him. The Sannin turned back to her student, fixing her with a curious look.

"Tell me what's on your mind then," she said, moving to her desk and sitting down in her chair. Selûne pulled up a chair and sat down before her, her face downcast.

"While Ryokan and I were traveling, I've been having these…visions and blackouts They're visions of death and despair. Mostly it's of Mayu and myself dying in each other's arms, but there is one thing that remains consistent. Miyako Amakura is in every single one of them, her laughter echoing in my mind. Only a little while ago, I encountered her in my mind. She told me a little about her past and then told me that she will be returning to exact revenge on the Leaf Village."

Tsunade's eyes widened. "So then she is the one that your sister spoke of that day…but how exactly does she plan to return? It's near impossible for the dead to be brought back to life and if they are, their soul does not remain in their body so they are only a soulless husk without memories or a personality."

Selûne's hands twisted in the cloth of her yukata, her teeth biting down hard on her bottom lip. "She…spoke of using Mayu and I as sacrifices. She confessed to making a contract with a demon: in order for her to come back, she promised him two souls of her bloodline, Mayu and I. She told me the next time that Mayu and I met would be our last because that will be when we both die. There was one thing that confused me though…in my visions, Mayu was sad…almost apologetic to me. I was holding her in my arms while we were both bleeding to death and she had tears in her eyes…and…she said "we'll be together forever.""

Tsunade watched the Amakura as her eyes glistened with unshed tears, her hands clenched so hard in her yukata that the Sannin was afraid the cloth would tear. Selûne's head lifted to stare Tsunade down, her eyes hard now. "I think this…_presence…_inside me is Miyako. I may be able to keep her confined for now, but when I am weakened, her power becomes stronger and it becomes difficult for me to be able to contain her."

"Selûne…" Tsunade began, folding her hands underneath her chin. "I can't say I can guarantee your safety and the safety of the village because it is hard to predict the future, but I will do everything I can to keep this confrontation with Mayu from happening for as long as I can. As long as you and Mayu stay alive, you and the village are safe for a time. Maybe your friend outside can help as well…" She cocked an eyebrow at Selûne, a grin spreading across her lips.

Selûne blushed slightly when she thought of Itachi. Of course Itachi would do everything he could to protect her…

"If you don't mind sensei, Ryokan and I would like to leave so that we can go to the Cherry Blossoms Festival."

"Oh yeah…sure. Are you going to be staying in Konoha then?" Tsunade desperately hoped that Selûne would say yes. "It would be a wise idea so that the village can protect you from this threat."

The Amakura shrugged. "I guess so. Ryokan has business to attend to back in his homeland, but he will be coming by to see me often so I don't want the ANBU to attack him when he comes."

"I'll make sure that they won't lay a hand on him." Tsunade had a strange feeling about this Ryokan guy. His chakra was enormous, but it was somewhat familiar to her.

'_I'll get the answer out of her eventually, but I might as well let her have her fun. She's been through a lot.'_

"Go on and get out of here, brat. Enjoy the festival," Tsunade said, forcing a smile to her face. Selûne smiled cheekily and bolted for the door. "Oh…and Selûne?"

The Amakura stopped just as she had opened the door, Ryokan standing there waiting for her. She turned back to her sensei. "Be safe. I wouldn't want anything more to happen to you."

Selûne smiled. "Don't worry Tsunade-sensei. I'll be alright with Ryokan around!" With those words the girl walked out of the office, Ryokan putting his arm around her just before the door closed. Tsunade's eyes narrowed slightly.

'_I'll find out eventually Selûne. You know I will.'_

* * *

"It's so beautiful!" Selûne squealed when they approached the fairgrounds. There were vendors everywhere selling their wares, a ride that took people up in an oversized cherry blossom, a stage set up for music and of course the main event that was going to be starting in thirty minutes: fireworks. The one thing that caught Selûne's eye were the many beautiful cherry blossom trees that were planted all around in full bloom. "Ryokan isn't it beautiful!?"

Itachi chuckled softly as his arm encircled Selûne's waist. "It's been a while since I've been to the festival, that's for sure. Nothing's changed about it though except for that ride."

"Let's go on it," Selûne said as she grabbed his hand and dragged him toward it. While they were waiting in line, Itachi took that moment to wrap his arms around Selûne and kiss her gently on the neck. "So what did you tell the Hokage?"

"I knew you would ask me sooner or later. I told her about the visions I've been having of Miyako and that it will inevitably happen, but she will make sure that the village is prepared for when it happens. In the meantime she will make sure I am protected long enough for her to build up enough military strength to combat it."

She could almost feel Itachi's smile in her hair. "Well I'm glad. I'll also help to keep you safe Selûne. You know I wou-"

"SE-CHAN!" There was a blur of orange and yellow and Selûne was almost tackled to the ground. Naruto hugged her tightly, almost squeezing the life out of her. "I'm so glad to see you! I was afraid that you had died and that Sasuke had taken you to Orochimaru, but now you're back! Where have you been!?"

"Na-ru-to! Can't…breathe…!"

"Oh, sorry." Naruto released the Amakura and she sucked in a deep breath, her waist hurting from the grip he had had on her. When she had regained her composure, she smiled at the boy.

"I've been hiding from Sasuke so that he wouldn't find me and take me back to that snake. If it hadn't been for Ryokan…" Selûne sent a loving smile to Itachi, who returned it. "I probably would have been back in Orochimaru's clutches."

"Well thank Kami for that! Thanks for keeping her safe Ryokan!" Naruto said, a big grin spreading across his face. Itachi's face was impassive as he stared at Naruto and Selûne began to worry. She nudged Itachi in the ribs and he blinked, remembering where he was.

"Hn."

She elbowed him again, earning a half-hearted glare from him that said 'try it again, I dare you'. Naruto didn't seem to notice this exchange; he just grinned some more.

"Well I'm off to find Sakura! She's my date for today, can you believe it, Se-chan? Sakura finally said yes to coming with me! It's like a dream come true," he said, his eyes sparkling with joy. Selûne laughed at his expression. Naruto had been so desperate to get Sakura to notice him so it must have been a huge ego boost to get Sakura to come with him. With a last wave, Naruto ran off in search of the pink haired kunoichi, leaving Selûne and Itachi alone once more.

Finally they could get on the ride and as they sat down, Itachi put his arm around Selûne's shoulders, bringing her closer to his body. When the blossom went up, Selûne rested her head on Itachi's chest, relaxing into the warmth of his body.

"Do you remember when we were younger, Selûne?" Itachi suddenly asked, keeping his eyes trained on the stars that were slowly beginning to wink into existence. Selûne only nodded, her face nuzzled into the fabric of his shirt. "I remember the day that I first met you. You and your sister were in the training field sparring with each other when I came across you. At first I wasn't interested in either of you, but when I saw you perform that jutsu of you, the Illusion of Souls, it amazed me. I've never seen power like that before and it drew me to you, making me want to understand and get to know you more. And when your family was killed…" Itachi felt Selûne's body stiffen at the mention of her family and he looked down at her, seeing the sadness in her eyes. "When my family took you in, I was secretly glad even if I did not show it. It afforded me the chance to get closer to you, but when you left for your mission, it ruined me. Having to murder the entire clan plus your departure tore me up more than I thought it would. And now that you're back in my life again…I have no intention of letting you leave it."

Selûne smiled sadly, a lone tear trickling down her cheek. "I'm glad to have found you again Itachi."

"Selûne…"

The blossom stopped abruptly and the two realized that the ride was over. "Damn…" Selûne said as they got off. "That was just getting good."

"Who says it has to end?" Itachi asked as they walked away from the ride, giving her a small smile. Selûne gave him a questioning look and he sighed, picking her up and jumping into one of the cherry blossom trees. The Amakura looked around and saw that many couples were now seated in the many cherry blossom trees, waiting for the fireworks. A voice came over the speakers announcing that the fireworks would be starting now. As soon as the speakers went dead, the fireworks began.

Selûne's eyes widened as the fireworks blew up, lighting up the night sky with many colors. Shades of pink, red, green, blue, purple and yellow lit up the surrounding areas as fireworks burst in different shapes and sizes. Her legs hung over the side of the limb they sat on, swinging back and forth to the tune of the song playing. She felt Itachi scoot closer to her so that he could wrap his arm around her waist, leaning into him and laying her head on his shoulder. She felt him turn his head so that his lips were buried in her hair.

"Selûne…what I wanted to say before is that I'm glad I met you. I love you…" he murmured, kissing the top of her head. She smiled and lifted her head so that she could look into his sky blue eyes, her eyes full of happiness.

"Itachi, karasu…I love you too," she said. The two lovers stared into each other's eyes before they leaned in, their lips meeting in a sweet loving kiss. At the same moment, a firework burst in the sky creating a heart.

* * *

In the shadows of the trees outlaying the festival grounds, a pair of black eyes watched the fireworks. His eyes scanned the grounds, looking at the many people walking around and the people in the cherry blossom trees. It was then that he noticed her.

There was a girl with long light brown hair that curled slightly into the small of her back sitting in one of the trees. She was wearing a pure white yukata and a red obi from what he saw, but she wasn't alone. A slightly larger person, obviously a male, sat next to her, his arm around her waist and her head on his shoulder. His hand clenched tightly. There was no doubt about it, it was Selûne. And the man next to her had long silver hair tied back and wore clothes almost similar to what he wore before he left the village. But it wasn't the appearance of the man that irked him; it was the chakra signature.

It was faint, but it was definitely him. His teeth bit down hard into his bottom lip, drawing blood. There was a soft chuckle from within him.

"_Something wrong, Sasuke?"_

"Of course not! What makes you think this bothers me?" Sasuke asked, feeling his face grow hot. Daisuke chuckled at the Uchiha's obvious discomfort.

"_Just the way you're acting tells me otherwise. You hate seeing him with her, don't you? You hate it because you know that with the more time they spend with each other, the thoughts of you are going to fade away in her mind."_

"Shut up," Sasuke growled, punching the tree he was sitting in. "I don't want to hear this."

"_It's the truth though. If you want her to yourself, you have to do something and fast, otherwise you __**will **__lose her."_

Sasuke sighed, looking back at the forms of Selûne and Itachi sitting together. What happened next broke his heart. Itachi leaned down and kissed Selûne on the lips. What was worse was that Selûne, his Selûne, his utsukushi…kissed him back! Sasuke could feel the tears beginning to burn his eyes, but he stubbornly blinked them away.

"This hurts…" he whispered, holding his hand to his chest. He looked back up at the couple, but they had vanished. The last of the fireworks went off, bathing Sasuke's face in an orange light.

'_No matter what happens, I'll still love you Selûne…that will never change.'_

He disguised himself and jumped down into the festival grounds, searching for the two shinobi.

* * *

After the fireworks had ended, Itachi and Selûne were walking around looking at the various items that the vendors were selling. There was one particular vendor that was selling weapons that were supposedly enchanted, but Selûne couldn't sense any enchantment on the weapons, so she had to pull Itachi away from it despite his protests. One vendor caught her attention with a beautiful piece of jewelry. She walked closer to inspect it and brought her hand up to touch it, running her hand over the smooth polished surface.

'_Never thought I would come across one of these in my lifetime…and it's masterfully crafted. I thought I would have had to make one of these for Itachi, but I guess I don't have to now. What luck!'_

While Itachi was looking at weapons, Selûne took the pendant and bought it. As she walked back toward the Uchiha, she inspected the pendant some more.

"What'd you buy?" Itachi asked, noticing her holding the chain. She held it up for him to see, a wide smile on her face.

"It's called a spirit orb. You can contain a person's spirit in the orb and bring them back to life with their spirit and soul completely intact. The only downside is that it can only be used once and when it is used, it dissolves."

Itachi smirked and handed her a brand new katana. "This is supposedly enchanted to become as big as Kisame's Samehada whenever you wish it. We'll see if it does, but if it doesn't, it's just a nice looking sharp sword."

"Itachi…you didn't have to get this for me, you know," Selûne said, unsheathing the katana and swinging it a few times before quickly sheathing it again. Itachi shrugged, a smile on his lips.

"It's the least I can do to thank you for giving me my life back."

"How were you even able to pay for this when you don't really have any money? Wait, let me guess…you stole money from underneath Kakuzu's mattress, didn't you?" Selûne said with a cocked eyebrow, a slight smile on her face.

"Maybe…" Itachi grinned at her, making Selûne laugh.

"Oh man Itachi, he's going to kick your ass when he finds out. You know how much he loves to count his money," she said.

"Hn. He won't be able to touch me."

Itachi and Selûne walked off hand in hand, unaware of someone following them. This person watched them as they passed another vendor, seeing Selûne cast a look at a beautiful necklace made of silver. The necklace was a simple chain with a pendant in the shape of a cherry blossom that had amethysts adorning the front of the pendant. He smirked when the two walked away into the village, going up to the vendor and buying the necklace. He would find a way to give it to her soon.

On the way to where Selûne lived in the village, Itachi looked up at the Hokage monument, remembering the days when he had still lived in the village. It had been an easier life, but he couldn't go back to it if he wanted to. He was an S-ranked criminal…there was no way he could ever return to the village without them wanting to kill him.

He had been so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed that they had reached the apartment that Selûne had shared with Sasuke before she left the village. When she opened the door, he looked around the small place, noting the neatness of the bed and the fine layer of dust that had settled on surfaces.

"It hasn't been touched since I left…" Selûne said, her eyes sad. She laid the katana and spirit orb on the dresser and opened the window to let in the moonlight. The sounds of the festival could still be heard in the distance.

Itachi walked over to the nightstand where the facedown picture was and picked it up, looking at the picture of his brother with his team. He could feel the heaviness settle upon him, but he ignored it. A soft rustling sound came from behind him and he looked to see Selûne changing into a white nightgown. She had her back turned to him the whole time as she picked up her brush and started brushing the tangles out of her hair.

"I think it's safe for you to dispel the illusion, Itachi," she said, turning to look at him with a slight smile on her face. He released the disguise and reappeared as his normal self, the usual emotionless expression upon his face.

"This is where I lived when I came back from my mission…" Selûne said as she sat down on the bed. "Sasuke and I met up the night that I came back and he offered for me to stay here with him."

"I can see…" Itachi said, shedding his cloak and sitting down next to her.

"Being here again brings back so many memories," she said, leaning back so that she was laying on the bed. "I do miss Sasuke, but he chose his own path…I keep thinking what would have happened if I had stayed at Orochimaru's hideout or if Sasuke had stayed in the village. I have so many questions, but no answers…"

Itachi didn't say anything, but he laid back with her, staring up at the ceiling.

"Even though sometimes I wish that some things had been different, I wouldn't give this up for anything," she said, turning her head to look at him. "I wouldn't give you up for anything, Itachi."

He smiled and kissed her gently, rubbing his nose against hers. She smiled sadly at him, pulling away slightly. "When will you have to leave?"

"More than likely, it will be tomorrow morning. I can't stay here long, you know that," he said, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her close to him. She caressed his cheek and kissed him again, a long lingering kiss this time. When she pulled away, she ran her fingers over his soft lips.

"Let's just sleep for now…" she said, moving to get underneath the covers. She watched Itachi as he took his sandals off and removed his shirt and pants, a slight blush settling in her cheeks. Selûne buried her face in the pillow, catching a faint trace of Sasuke's scent. It sent a feeling of sadness through her, constricting her chest slightly.

'_Why, Sasuke?'_

Itachi joined her under the covers and draped his arm over her waist, bringing her closer to his body. She lifted her head and kissed him gently, her heart beating hard in her chest.

"I love you karasu…" she said, snuggling against his chest.

"I love you too shirahato…" he said, his arms holding her to him as she drifted off into sleep, her last thought of Itachi smiling at her.

* * *

Sasuke watched the couple in his bed, his anger nearly boiling over. How dare Itachi be in his apartment!

Daisuke chuckled. _"I sense jealousy, Sasuke."_

"Shut up!"

"_I'm just saying…he'll be gone in the morning, so you can see her then if you want to."_

"I will. I'm not going to let Itachi take something away _again_!"

Sasuke had no choice but to rent a room at the inn. Tomorrow he would approach Selûne in his disguise. Hopefully she would see him as the one she wanted and not Itachi. He smirked to himself, comforting his torn heart with that thought.

'_Maybe then I will exact my revenge on Itachi and be able to rebuild my clan at the same time. Mark my words Itachi, you will die. And Selûne…you will be mine.'_


	22. A New Leaf

_**I'm still sick and getting worse apparently...anyway, this chapter took a while because I kept getting distracted, but I figure some action will take place soon because I think the ordeal with Miyako will occur before Madara is introduced to the story, but if I could put a time to it...it will happen in the Shippuden time. **_

_**ShadowBloodNinja- Evil duckass? I laughed at that and then thought of Sasuke's hairstyle...it looks like a duck in his hair haha. It's taking me a whie to get chapters up because I'm trying to input my analytical mind to it and it takes time :P**_

* * *

When Selûne woke the next morning, Itachi was nowhere to be seen. He hadn't left a note for her, but she remembered what he had said last night. It made sense that he wouldn't have been able to stay in the village long since he was a wanted man, but she secretly wished he had stayed. It was her first day back in the village and there were some things that she wanted to do, like see Tsunade and also check up on Team 7 since she had left.

She got up from the bed and pulled on a long white top that matched Sakura's in appearance and black shorts, slipping into her black heels and buckling them while thinking.

'_Maybe Itachi will come back tonight…'_

She picked up the picture of Team 7 and stared down at the smiling faces of Naruto, Sakura and Kakashi. Sasuke wore his usual frown, which made Selûne smile slightly. She set the picture back down and walked to the door of the apartment, opening it and stepping out.

'_Sasuke will never change…he'll always be that arrogant boy I know.'_

* * *

Tsunade sat in her office, staring out the window at the rising sun. She liked watching the sun rise over the village and seeing the villagers coming out of their homes to begin their day warmed her heart. It was almost like when she had lived down there so long ago, except for the shroud of sadness that seemed to cover the village. After the loss of the Third Hokage, Sasuke's defection and Selûne's disappearance, the village was at a low point. The shinobi seemed to have lost hope with the recent events, but now that Selûne had returned, maybe some morale would be restored.

'_But after seeing her with __**him**__ yesterday…I'm beginning to doubt some things.'_

The door to her office opened and Tsunade turned to see who it was. In walked Selûne with a small smile on her face and in her arms was Ai, a female cub of her wolf familiar Okami. The small wolf cub struggled in the Amakura's arms upon seeing the Hokage and Selûne let her down, the wolf running to Tsunade and jumping in her arms.

"Hey kiddo, it's been a while," the Sannin said, scratching Ai between her ears. "Has Selûne been taking care of you?"

"Mistress Luna always takes care of me, Nade!" Ai couldn't pronounce either Selûne's or Tsunade's name fully, so she called Selûne Luna and Tsunade Nade instead. "She doesn't let me out a lot cause she's afraid I'll get hurt, but I always tell her I'll be okay. I'm going to be as big as Daddy someday and then she'll have to let me out more."

"You'll have to wait a little longer Ai, maybe in a few years or so. I don't think your daddy likes it when you try to come out during battle. He's nearly chewed my ear off about it already," Selûne said, crossing her arms over her chest and huffing. Tsunade scratched Ai between the ears gently as she stared her student down.

'_Better bring it up now.'_

"Selûne, I want to talk to you about that man you came in with yesterday."

Selûne stiffened slightly at those words and shifted her eyes away from her sensei. _'Oh shit…'_

"I know you were lying to me yesterday. That man's name isn't Ryokan, is it?"

The Amakura didn't look at the Hokage, her face beginning to heat up in shame. If Tsunade had found out who Ryokan really was…then she might be in some big trouble!

"It's funny…for such a high level shinobi, you'd think that Itachi Uchiha would be able to hide his chakra signature better than that."

Selûne anime fell to the ground, her right eye twitching. Tsunade and Ai stared at her, their faces expressing bewilderment. After a moment, the Amakura composed herself, sitting up from the ground and shaking her head.

"Tsunade-sensei, I'm sorry for lying! I knew I shouldn't have, but it was really the only way that he could come into the village and attend the festival, I mean he really wanted to go and I did too and it was one of the best nights of our lives and I wouldn't trade it for anything an-"

Selûne kept rambling on and on about how sorry she was and explaining her actions, but Tsunade held up her hand, causing the girl to fall silent and stare sullenly at the ground.

"Selûne, whatever reasons you had for coming back to the village with him…it doesn't matter. What does matter is that he kept you safe while you were gone and for that, I am indebted to him. I do want the whole truth from you though. Where have you been and why were you with him?"

Selûne stared sadly at the ground, her eyes beginning to burn with tears.

'_Why is it that I am so quick to cry? Why do I have to be so emotional!?'_

Tsunade noticed the shaking of her body and tried her best to reassure her. "Selûne, this stays between us. I won't tell anyone and you won't be in trouble. I just want to know what happened in the time that you were gone."

The Amakura nodded her head, her hands clenching in her lap. She swallowed the lump in her throat and raised her head to look the Hokage in the eyes.

"Sasuke did take me to Orochimaru badly wounded, but somehow I ended up in the hideout of the Akatsuki when I awoke. Itachi and I knew each other when we were younger, so I had someone to protect me there. During my stay with the Akatsuki, there were…feelings…that awoke between Itachi and I, much like the feelings I have for Sasuke…but much stronger than those." Selûne knew she couldn't tell Tsunade about her affiliation with the Akatsuki and her mission here, so she decided to subtly leave it out. "Itachi wanted to come to Konoha to the festival to relax a little, so he brought me here. He wanted me to be here in order to be safer since the hideout wasn't exactly safe for someone like me."

"Does he intend to come back for you anytime soon?" Tsunade asked, her fingers idly stroking Ai's snowy pelt. The cub had fallen asleep on her lap, snoring softly.

"He told me he would come by every so often to make sure I'm okay," Selûne said, her hand coming up to grasp the ring around her neck. She closed her eyes as an image of Itachi flashed in her mind, a smile coming to her lips.

"Well…I don't know Itachi that well, but if he is to be coming here often, I would hope that you would keep him in line. I'm willing to look the other way for now, but don't do anything that will cause me to have to intervene. I wouldn't want my favorite cousin to get in trouble with the law now."

Selûne's head shot up, her eyes full of wonder. "How did you…?"

Tsunade laughed. "Sweetheart, I've known we were related for a long time. Ever since you were born, I knew. Your grandmother was my great-grandfather's cousin and through her, you and I are cousins. That's why I always treat you like a younger sister."

Selûne stared at her sensei in bewilderment before slowly giving her a smile. "I never knew…Miyako was the one to tell me, but I've never known the clan that my grandmother came from."

"Well now you do. Now that that is done, I want to ask you something. You say that you have feelings for both Sasuke and Itachi, yes? I just want to say that it is a dangerous game you're playing to love two men at the same time, and brothers nonetheless. What will you do when you have to choose between the two of them because Selûne…you can't have both. It is unfair to both of them. Make the right choice when it comes to that and trust me when I tell you this…follow your heart. If you do that, you'll know which one you truly love."

Selûne stood with her head bowed and clasped her hands over the ring, her eyes sad. _'But…when that time comes…I can't hurt either of them. There has to be a way so that everyone is happy.'_

"I understand, Tsunade-sensei…"

The Hokage smiled and got up from her chair, disturbing Ai's nap. The wolf cub jumped to the floor and padded over to her mistress, rubbing against her leg in affection. Tsunade approached the girl, stopping just inches from her. When Selûne lifted her head to look into the hazel eyes of her cousin, Tsunade hugged her. The Amakura stood there in shock for a moment before she returned the hug, resting her head on the Sannin's shoulder. Tsunade's eyes shifted to look at the back of Selûne's head, a smile on her lips.

"Everything will be alright, I can promise you that. Just stay out of trouble," she said softly, patting her on the back before pulling away. "Now get to the hospital and help out."

"Yes Tsunade-sensei!" Selûne smiled at her before picking Ai up in her arms and walking out of the Hokage's office.

* * *

He watched as she walked out of the Hokage building with a small wolf cub in her arms, the animal nuzzling into her neck and chin. He couldn't help the smile that rose to his lips; she was truly a being of light. He steeled himself and walked toward her, the familiar aura around her beginning to affect him causing his body to feel lighter and his heart to swell. She looked at him as he approached her, a confused look on her face mixed with wariness.

"_Don't mess this up, Sasuke," _Daisuke said.

"If you disguise your presence in me, this might go well. Can't she sense you if she touches me?" he muttered softly, hoping that the girl wouldn't see him talking to himself.

"_Yeah, but I can disguise it so that she can't. Mistress isn't all powerful, you know…"_

'_Here goes nothing…time to move in.'_

"Hello there."

* * *

"Hello there." A young man around her age walked up to her, his light blonde hair and striking blue eyes catching her attention. Ai shifted in her arms, giving the man a look of contempt before snuffling and trying to burrow deeper into her chest. Selûne looked him over warily before deciding to speak.

"And who might you be, if I may ask?"

He smiled at her, the smile appearing out of place on him. "My name is Tatsuo. I just arrived today in Konoha from the Land of Lightning and was trying to find my way around. Do you think you could help show me around?"

"If you're trying to find your way, there are maps in the Hokage building. Now if you'll excuse me…" Selûne began walking away, but he appeared in front of her, blocking her way.

"Won't you help a poor man? I was sent here because my parents were killed and I had nowhere to go. Please?"

Selûne felt bad for being so rude to him. After all, he was just trying to find his way around. "I'm sorry…are you going to be living here in Konoha then?"

"Yes. My village leader gave me the money in my parents' bank so that I could purchase a house here, but buying a house takes time and I can't be so free with money right now," he said, his blue eyes taking on a sad look. "Do you think you could help me?"

'_What is it with this man? He seems so familiar and his chakra…it seems familiar as well, but I can't put my finger on it…'_

Selûne gave him a suspicious look, but her kind heart gave in to its demands. "Okay, let me show you around."

She walked past him with Ai climbing over her shoulder and giving him a strange look. He stared the cub down, almost daring her to say something. Ai snorted and clambered down to nuzzle into Selûne's chest once more. He smirked, his eyes trailing over her body and memorizing every curve.

'_I can't believe it's actually working…'_

"_Don't get too overconfident, Sasuke. It's only been a few minutes and you can't keep that disguise up forever."_

'_Shut up already, will you?'_

Daisuke fell silent and Sasuke kept following behind Selûne, listening to her as she pointed out places that he already knew of. They had just neared the academy when she stopped dead in her tracks. He looked at her questioningly before looking past her, suddenly realizing where they were. Selûne took a few steps toward the fence and dropped Ai to the ground, running off into the graveyard. Ai followed close behind her, her tiny legs managing to keep up with her mistress.

"Wait, stop!" he yelled, running after her.

Selûne stopped when she reached three familiar headstones, her head bowing to look down at the names engraved on them. Tatsuo stopped some feet away from her, watching her as she fell to her knees before the graves, picking up some dirt from the ground and letting it seep through her fingers.

"This is the Konoha graveyard…where some of the best shinobi of this village died protecting it from its enemies. These three are the graves of my family…Maya, Takao and Nobutoshi Amakura…all killed by my older sister Mayu." She picked up a large rock and clenched her fist around it, causing the rock to break into many pieces. "I swore to kill her to gain revenge for the deaths of my family…but the day that I face her and kill her…will be the day that I die as well."

She heard Tatsuo's soft gasp behind her. "Why will you die as well?"

Her smile was sad. "Because it was destined for us to both die and the moment that we die, this village will be utterly destroyed."

"Why?"

"The moment the life leaves our bodies, our ancestor Miyako Amakura will come back and use my body to wreak vengeance on the village for the death of her lover Madara Uchiha. We're destined to be the two souls which she sacrifices in order for her to come back to life."

Selûne's shoulders began to shake as her tears ran down her cheeks, her hands relaxing and letting the pieces of rock fall to the ground.

"The Fifth Hokage is doing everything she can to protect me from this fate, but I can't avoid it. I can't keep running away from it because it will happen and sooner or later, I will have to face it, but…I'm afraid."

Tatsuo stood behind her, his blue eyes sad and behind those blue eyes, Sasuke's heart was breaking. He loved a woman who was doomed to die and he couldn't do anything to stop it.

Selûne slowly stood up, wiping away her tears and turning to face him, her smiling face confusing him slightly. "I'm sorry for not telling you earlier, but my name is Selûne."

Tatsuo smiled at her, walking toward her and placing his hand on her shoulder. "It's nice to make your acquaintance Selûne and if you'll allow me, I'd like to treat you to ramen."

The Amakura's eyes widened. "But you hardly know me? Why would you do such a thing?"

Tatsuo chuckled, his eyes closing as a wide smile crossed his face. "It's a thank you for helping me today and also…it's not everyday that you meet a beautiful charming woman."

Selûne blushed slightly, turning her head away from him. "T-thank you Tatsuo. I guess I could go with you, but where will you stay?"

He smirked, the expression sending a wave of nostalgia through her.

'_There's something about him…'_

"I really don't have anywhere to stay, but I could rent a room at the inn for a night until I find a house."

"I see…" There was silence between the two shinobi until Selûne picked Ai up and took one last look at the graves. "Sayonara…mother, father, Nobutoshi." She began walking away, but only managed to walk a short distance before she realized Tatsuo wasn't following her. "Tatsuo?" Selûne turned to see that he was staring down at the graves of the Uchiha clan, his fists clenched.

"Who do these graves belong to?" he asked. She walked back to him and looked down, noticing the graves of Mikoto and Fugaku Uchiha.

"Oh…they belong to the Uchiha clan. These particular two happen to be the people who took me in after the deaths of my family and I can never repay them enough for what they did. Their sons Itachi and Sasuke were my best friends when I was younger, but I left for a mission that took five years to complete and I didn't see them again until recently…I met Sasuke again when I returned, but then he left to find Orochimaru, who is a rogue ninja from this village. I loved him…" Her voice faltered for a moment and Tatsuo looked back at her, seeing the sad expression on her face. "I tried to stop him but he still went to that snake…and then I came across Itachi again. During my time on the mission, Itachi had murdered the entire Uchiha clan including his own parents, but he left Sasuke alive and used my image in a genjutsu to hurt Sasuke. But…I know deep down, Itachi is not a bad person. He is still the Itachi I know from my past and I love him as well."

Tatsuo's fists clenched, Sasuke fuming behind the disguise. _'So it is true! But why…?'_

"Why would you love someone who murdered his own family?" he asked, his tone disbelieving. She smiled at him, wiping at her eyes to clear the water gathering in them.

"Because I believe that everyone deserves a second chance. Whatever reasons Itachi had for doing it…I know somewhere deep inside him, he regrets doing it. Like I said before, he is really a good person at heart."

Tatsuo scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest and turning his head away. "Well I wouldn't. Someone like that deserves to die."

"You are entitled to your opinion and it is not my place to try to change it, but I believe in him," Selûne said, scratching Ai gently between her ears. "Now, let's go and eat." She began walking off again, but this time Tatsuo followed her. He cast a look back at the graves of Mikoto and Fugaku, a frown furrowing his brow.

'_Goodbye Mother…Father…'_

* * *

"What do you mean I can't go with you!?"

BANG! "OW!"

Selûne had to keep herself from laughing when she heard Naruto's loud voice coming from the Ichiraku ramen shop. Tatsuo stood beside her with a weird look on his face as they listened to the commotion.

"Shut up Naruto! You're such an idiot!"

'_Naruto hasn't changed. He's still a complete loser.'_

The Amakura drew back the cloth to see Sakura and Kakashi sitting together on the stools while Naruto lay on the ground twitching, a large anime bump on his head from where Sakura had hit him.

"I see you're still playing the knucklehead ninja role, Naruto," Selûne said cheerfully. The three ninja looked back at her, Sakura and Kakashi gasping while Naruto just laid there.

"Selûne? When did you come back?" Kakashi asked, getting up and walking toward her. "Are you real?" He began poking her in the shoulder to see if it was her and not an illusion. Her eye twitched and she looked to Ayame, the shop girl.

"Ayame, you know what to do."

Ayame chuckled and a big red fist collided with Kakashi, throwing him out of the shop and flattening him against the fence. He fell to the ground stunned, a low groan escaping him. "I'm very much here Kakashi. I arrived yesterday afternoon with a friend of mine who kept me safe during my absence."

"Yeah, I got to meet him last night at the festival. He's a nice guy!" Naruto said, rubbing the back of his head bashfully. Selûne smiled at Naruto before taking a seat next to Sakura, Tatsuo sitting on her other side away from Sakura.

"Who's your friend, Selûne?" the pink-haired kunoichi asked, craning her neck to get a good look at the man.

"His name is Tatsuo, he came to live in Konoha after traveling from the Land of Lightning," Selûne said, giving hers and Tatsuo's order to Ayame. Naruto turned to give Selûne a confused look.

"Wait, if he's here with you, where did Ryokan go?" he asked. "Isn't Ryokan your boyfriend?"

No one noticed the look of annoyance that passed over Tatsuo's face. "Well…I guess you could say that Ryokan and I are lovers."

"Then what about Sas-" Selûne quickly punched him over the head, preventing him from saying Sasuke's name. "OW!"

"It's okay Selûne. I know about you and Sasuke," Sakura said softly, staring sadly into her bowl of ramen. The Amakura gave her a sympathetic look.

"Sakura, don't be upset…Sasuke and I aren't together and I don't think we can be," she said. Tatsuo's head jerked up to look at her with a shocked look. Inside, Sasuke was throwing a fit!

'_What the hell? How can she say that when she said she loved me back at the graveyard!?'_

"_Did you not hear her back there? She said she __**loved**__ you! Past tense, Sasuke…you have to listen more closely to her words."_

'_Shut up!'_

Sakura's head lifted and a hopeful smile rose to her lips. "Do you think that I could still have a chance with Sasuke then, Selûne?"

'_Not a chance in hell…you're so annoying.'_

The Amakura smiled at her. "Of course Sakura. Even the coldest person can change in time and Sasuke is no exception."

'_I really wish you wouldn't say that…you were the one always getting on me about keeping our promise. And it seems you have forgotten that promise.'_

"Here you go, thanks for waiting!" Mr. Ichiraku said as he laid two bowls of steaming ramen in front of the two. Selûne's mouth watered and she quickly grabbed two pairs of chopsticks, throwing one pair to Tatsuo and breaking hers apart. "Itadakimasu!"

Shortly after finishing her ramen, the other three left them to their meal. Now Selûne and Tatsuo sat together, Tatsuo staring at the remnants of his ramen, deep in thought.

"Is there something on your mind?" Selûne asked, breaking Tatsuo from his thoughts.

"No…" he said, finishing the last of his food and laying the money on the table. "Let's go."

Ai perched on Selûne's shoulder as they left the ramen shop, the Amakura following behind the man. They made their way over the bridge when Tatsuo stopped, looking down into the water. "Are you sure you're okay? You've been acting strange ever since we arrived at the shop."

"I want to give you something as a thank you for helping me today," he said, turning to face her. Selûne's face registered confusion.

"I thought buying me ramen was thanks enough," she said, putting a finger to her chin in thought. "What else would you want to give me?"

"This." Tatsuo pulled a square box from his pocket and handed it to her. She gave him a wary look before she opened the box, a small gasp escaping her. Inside was the cherry blossom pendant she had wanted from the festival last night, the amethysts gleaming in the sunlight.

"But…how…I thought you arrived in Konoha today? How could you have gotten this when the festival was last night?" she asked, giving him a suspicious look. His eyes widened in surprise as he quickly tried to find an answer to her question, but when he looked away, she sensed it immediately. She could feel Daisuke's spirit energy radiating from him. "Sasuke…you can drop the act now."

Tatsuo gave her an annoyed look, but didn't change back into Sasuke. "How'd you know it was me, Selûne?"

She chuckled. "Well there are some things that you just cannot change about yourself Sasuke, no matter how well you disguise yourself. Hell…even Ai had a feeling you weren't who we thought you were. But giving me this pendant and then feeling Daisuke's presence in you, it wasn't hard to figure it out. You really should learn to lie better because I remember things, especially words."

Tatsuo, or Sasuke, turned his head away, a pout appearing on his lips. "What're you doing here Sasuke? Why did you come back when you've made it clear that you don't want to be back in the village?"

"I was at the festival last night and I saw you and…" his voice trailed off as an expression of anger appeared on his face. She sighed, closing the box and placing it on the railing of the bridge.

"Sasuke…it's best if you leave now. I don't want you to be captured because right now, you're letting your chakra signature flare and if anyone is near, they will come here and try to capture you."

"But Selûne…I came for you."

Inside her heart was being torn slowly, but she maintained a stern façade. "Leave Sasuke…before I make you leave myself."

His body slumped slightly before he turned his back to her, beginning to walk off in the direction of the gate. When he had taken a few steps, he stopped and turned his head slightly to look at her. "I won't give up on you Selûne. I promised to come back for you and I will keep that."

Her expression didn't change from its stoniness, so he sighed and turned back around. "Unlike you…I will keep it."

He disappeared in a flash, leaving the Amakura alone on the bridge. Selûne looked back down at the box, her emotions warring within her.

'_Why do I have to be so emotional? Why can't this feeling just go away!? I need to stay away from Sasuke…it will just end in my destruction.'_

She stood there for a while until she finally managed to make her feet move, taking the box in her hand and walking off from the bridge. Her eyes flashed before turning a brilliant shade of gold, her brow furrowing.

'_No longer will I be the weak sniveling girl…it's time for me to be strong!'_


	23. Search for the Crests

_**I'm somewhat disappointed by the feedback I got...but I'm not going to stop just because there aren't enough reviews or favorites or followers or whatever the hell I look for. I just want to get this story out of my head and onto here so I can just read what I wrote and think 'damn I finally got it out of my head**'**...and then I would think of a sequel. Fuck...**_

_**ShadowBloodNinja- It's been a while since the last chapter, but it took me a while to get this one up. I kept getting distracted (which happens a lot, mind you!) and working. I have cats and my favorite one just had surgery cause she had a huge cancerous growth, but she's doing great! My least favorite one (whom I'm convinced is bulimic) is perfectly healthy and as fat as a cow. She scratches all the time for no damn reason, so when she walked up to me one day and decided 'I'm going to scratch the fuck out of your leg!', she found herself being flung against the wall. Needless to say, she didn't scratch me again after that. Gah, I hate that cat, she's so fucking evil! I just now started on the next arc of the story, which I will entitle 'The Search for the Crests'. I think it will be pretty good...oh and death to Sasuke's corpse!**_

_**Anyway, this took a while and now starts the next chapter!**_

* * *

_*Five Months Later*_

Selûne sat on top of the Hokage monument, twirling a kunai on her finger. Her normally blue eyes had taken on a slight golden tinge from overuse of her Raifudorein in the past five months during missions, but her chakra level had increased exponentially. Due to Miyako's growing influence on her, her chakra had taken on a white and black hue to it, the white being her chakra and the black being Miyako's. She had gone into the darkest corners of her mind many times to converse with Miyako and eventually learned some of the Amakura's jutsu. After learning that Miyako used both fire and water elements, she was able to learn many of her jutsu and add it to her repertoire with her wind element.

She had also gotten colder…

Ever since she had made Sasuke leave that day, she hadn't seen him or Itachi in the five months that had passed, causing her to retreat inwardly and focus more on getting stronger so that she could defeat Mayu. She had learned from Miyako that a larger portion of her soul resided in her body instead of Mayu's, granting Selûne more power. It also meant that Miyako could take over her body if she let her control slip, but she wasn't going to let that happen. She didn't trust her at all.

She had kept the katana that Itachi had given her and the pendant that Sasuke had given her, but the one thing she had been focused on for the past months was the creation of a second spirit orb. It took a lot of time to make one, but it was necessary in order to stop Miyako because Selûne couldn't defeat her on her own. She needed Mayu in order to achieve this, but she had to renew ties with her before that could happen.

She looked down at the orb she had been making, the smooth surface of the gem winking at her in the sunlight. It was halfway completed, but it still needed more work and lately she had not had the resources to construct it. In order to make it, she needed a lot of spirit power and many powerful sealing jutsu in order to make it work.

The kunai she had been twirling slapped into her palm and she returned it to her pouch, standing up and tucking the orb into her pocket. An overwhelming sense of loss struck her as she looked down upon the village that had made her lose so many people she loved. First her family, then the loving Uchiha family that had taken her in and finally Sasuke and Itachi. Her teeth bit down on her bottom lip, worrying the soft skin. It wouldn't be long before she had to face Mayu and also meet her fate as one of the doomed souls to revive Miyako. Maybe it was time for her to leave the village and search for the three crests to unlock the shrine that housed the sacred weapon of the Amakura clan that was hidden deep under the prayer house.

'_The only weapon that can defeat Miyako…'_

She took a few steps back before using the Summoning Jutsu to bring forth Okami. Taking a running jump off of the monument, Okami jumped underneath her so that she landed on his back, wisps of air surrounding his feet so that he could hover. Being a wind animal, he could manipulate the wind so that he could 'fly'.

"To Tsunade's office, Okami…and make it fast. We have a lot of traveling to do."

* * *

Needless to say, Tsunade was surprised to see the Amakura hovering outside her office on the back of her white wolf, but she opened the window so that she could speak to her.

"Whaddya want, brat?"

"I'm leaving the village for a while, sensei."

Tsunade's nonchalant attitude flew out the window. She glared at her student, her hands on her hips. "What the hell are you talking about!? You know it's not safe for you to leave when there's the chance you'll come across your sister! Why are you leaving anyway?"

Selûne's face was emotionless, her eyes staring right through Tsunade. The Hokage's body stiffened underneath her gaze, a shiver running through her body.

'_She's changed so much ever since that day five months ago…what's happened to her to make her like this?'_

No longer was Selûne the cheerful girl she had known. She had been replaced by this solemn woman who rarely smiled anymore. Tsunade hadn't seen much of Selûne in the months that she had been back because of missions, but when she wasn't on missions, she was hiding from the public. She also sensed the abundance of chakra around the young woman, noting that her eyes were slightly golden mixed with her natural blue.

'_A side effect of her kekkei genkai…'_

"I need to acquire a weapon necessary to defeat Miyako, sensei." Tsunade also noticed that she didn't call her Tsunade-sensei like she usually did, meaning that Selûne was slowly cutting ties to her former self.

'_She's changed too much for my liking.'_

"In order for me to get it, I need to find three crests in order to unlock the chamber in which it lies. Unfortunately for me, the Tsuchihara, Senju and Amakura crests are well protected by the guardians of the three clans."

Tsunade lifted an eyebrow. "Why would the Senju and Tsuchihara clans be involved in this?"

Selûne smirked, her eyes closing. "The Senju and Tsuchihara clans are involved because their blood runs in the Amakura bloodline. The marriages of Ai Senju to Hajime Amakura and my mother Maya Tsuchihara to my father Takao Amakura intertwined the three lines. My parents and grandparents knew of the threat that Miyako posed to the village and so they stole her halberd, a blade known as Barabara ni Aku or better known as Arc Asunder, a blade that wielded the power of raw lightning. Ironic that she is weakest to lightning when she wielded a weapon that uses lightning. When Miyako came looking for her prized blade, my parents, who had planned the whole thing, hid Arc Asunder in the catacombs of the prayer house. They created the shrine mechanism to hold the three crests and after that was completed, my grandmother created the Senju crest, my mother the Tsuchihara crest and my father the Amakura crest. When these three are fitted together in the shrine, they will open the door to Arc Asunder. Trying to break through the shrine is useless as they put up a very powerful barrier which is impossible for any measure of strength or jutsu to destroy."

Selûne's eyes opened again, the expression in them empty. "It is my destiny to have to die for the sake of Miyako's return, but I will come back to defeat her. I won't let the Hidden Leaf Village fall, sensei."

Tsunade stood there rooted to the spot, her eyes never leaving the stoic Amakura.

'_She hasn't changed…she still wants to protect the village and even if it means she has to give up her own life, she'll do it. She's a true ninja…'_

Finally the Hokage nodded and Selûne's body relaxed slightly. "Do you know where these crests are, Selûne?"

"My grandmother hid the Senju crest somewhere near where the Sound village is and my father hid the Amakura crest in the Namida Shrine in the Rain Village. As for the Tsuchihara crest…I have no idea where my mother could have hidden it. The only thing I know is that they are protected by powerful guardians."

Tsunade's lips pursed in thought. "When do you think you'll be back then? You know I'm going to worry about you."

"You don't need to worry about me. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself, sensei," Selûne said, commanding Okami to turn away from the window, her back now facing Tsunade.

"Just be careful out there, brat. If you don't come back, I will personally find you and kick your ass."

Selûne turned her head and smiled slightly, sticking her tongue out at the Hokage. "Whatever you say Tsunade-sensei."

Okami and Selûne disappeared before her eyes and Tsunade sighed heavily, running her hand through her blonde hair.

'_That kid will be the death of me someday…'_

* * *

In a dark room lit by a single lantern, the members of the Akatsuki minus Konan gathered. The blue haired kunoichi had left for Amegakure a month ago and they hadn't seen her since.

"As you all know, we will be increasing our efforts to capture the tailed beasts. Each team will be assigned to a tailed beast to capture and there will be consequences for failure."

"Yeah but what about Kisame and Uchiha's attempt to capture the Nine-Tails un? They failed to capture it and you let them off easy!" Deidara crossed his arms over his chest and pouted.

"Like you've been doing anything! All you've been doing is sit around and make explosions!" Sasori said.

"Are we supposed to capture the jinchuriki with them?" Kisame asked with contempt.

Pain sighed heavily. _'I'm surrounded by a bunch of idiots.'_

"A-_hem!_ As you all know, we stationed Selûne in Konoha to spy on the village and report on the Nine Tails jinchuriki. She tells us that the jinchuriki has left the village to train under the Sannin Jiraiya and doesn't know when he will be back. She's also being kept under surveillance because as long as she survives, the village will not be destroyed by her ancestor. But…"

A few of the members stiffened when Pain paused, an uneasy silence settling over the Akatsuki.

"She is leaving the village on a mission of her own. I spoke with her this morning and she reports that she will be searching for three talismans of her clan in order to acquire a weapon to defeat her ancestor. Now…this will take time for her and we cannot afford to lose her, so…Deidara and Sasori, I want you to locate her and help her out on her quest."

"Excuse me." Itachi interrupted, causing Pain to glare at him with his violet Rinnegan. "Why would we send _them_ to help her? Shouldn't we send shinobi who are more…_effective_? Kisame and I are more than capable to protect her and with our help, she will be able to complete it in no time. If you send Deidara and Sasori to help her, she won't be able to make any progress when she has a child trying to get in her pants."

"EXCUSE ME UN!? I'M PERFECTLY CAPABLE OF PROTECTING SELÛNE, SO GO FUCK YOURSELF UCHIHA! AND DON'T INSULT SASORI-DANNA!" Deidara's face was bright red as he glared flames at the Uchiha, who stared back stoically. Pain sighed heavily once more.

"Okay, in order to avoid a conflict here, I'll send Itachi and Kisame to help her."

"WHAT UN!?" Deidara's form whipped toward Pain in surprise, his one visible eye wide. Itachi merely smirked.

"It's in our best interest that Selûne stays alive and Itachi does have a point, Deidara. You really have done nothing, but lust after her ever since she joined Akatsuki and that will only slow her down."

"But…but Uchiha's been doing the same thing un! Hell the guy even tried to fuck her that one night! I haven't done anything like that un!"

Pain rubbed his temples, feeling a massive headache come on. "Deidara, just be quiet."

The bomber sulked, but kept his mouth shut. Pain turned to Kisame and Itachi, his Rinnegan infused eyes glaring at them. "Make sure that no harm comes to Selûne. She is essential in our future plans."

"Understood." Itachi and Kisame's forms flickered out of sight.

Back in the middle of a dark forest safe from enemy eyes, Itachi and Kisame both returned to their bodies. Kisame snorted and hoisted Samehada onto his shoulder, sending a glare at the Uchiha.

"So now we have to find her? This is more troublesome than I thought…" Kisame said. "Why did you have to volunteer to help her, Itachi? You know perfectly well that that little girl is capable of taking care of herself."

"I am aware of that, but it is our leader's orders and I won't go against that." Kisame scowled at his partner.

"It's only leader's orders because you **had **to open your fat mouth! If you had just let him choose the brat and Sasori, we wouldn't have to deviate from our mission!"

"You really should calm down Kisame. Besides, this might prove to be an interesting venture."

"Whatever you say, Itachi. I just don't think it's really needed for us to help her when she can do this on her own. I mean she has that freaky jutsu of hers that she used on all of us that day she was accepted into Akatsuki. That's enough to make even the strongest man want to curl up in a corner and cry for his mother," Kisame said, a shudder running through his body at the thought of seeing the insane dark side of Selûne. "It sure made my skin crawl at seeing her like that."

"I'm curious as to what she could have possibly done to all of you in that world. She had me in there for only a few seconds and didn't do anything to me," Itachi said, a smirk appearing on his face.

"Trust me, you don't want to know and I really don't feel like reliving that day ever again!" Kisame anime cried, his face pouty. "That was the scariest thing I've ever seen in my whole life, and I've seen a lot of things!"

"Hn…" Itachi stood and stretched, his bones popping in multiple places as the stiffness in them was relieved. "Let's go Kisame."

* * *

The Amakura settled on Okami's back as she watched the forest underneath them melt away into wide open plains. She had decided to go after the Amakura crest first since it would probably be the hardest one to acquire and she didn't feel like saving the hardest for last.

'_Better to just get it over with quickly.'_

She wasn't worried about acquiring the crests themselves, but what did worry her was having to face the guardians of the crests. From what the writings in the family book said, they were extremely powerful and would not die unless they were defeated by a true heir of the clan. So far, only two people of the clan had tried to go up against them, but they had died miserably.

'_Weak fools like them didn't deserve to live…'_

Miyako's voice echoed in her mind, full of contempt and hatred. Ever since Selûne had left Konoha, Miyako had been in a foul mood because she knew that Selûne was going after Arc Asunder. The Amakura sighed and closed her eyes, retreating into the back of her mind where the woman lurked.

"_Must you be so difficult?" Selûne asked, her arms crossed over her chest as she stared down the elder Amakura. Miyako smirked, her sharp canines gleaming in the candlelight._

"_On the contrary, those that tried to fight those guardians were weak. With you, I know that you will probably be able to get past them and retrieve Arc Asunder, which is why I will do everything to keep you from succeeding."_

"_Only because you know that if I do get it, you won't stand a chance against me when you return," Selûne said, an evil smile crossing her features. Miyako growled angrily at her, running at her with her sharp nails ready to tear into her flesh. Before she could reach her however, a bright aura surrounded the younger Amakura, keeping Miyako from touching her and throwing her back against the wall. Selûne approached the restrained woman, her evil smile never leaving her face. "I __**will**__ do everything to keep your plan from succeeding, Miyako. I know now that you are not the person I thought you were…you are a disgrace to the Amakura clan."_

_Miyako's face contorted in pure anger as she spit in Selûne's face. Selûne blinked slowly as she wiped the saliva off her cheek, her brows furrowing into an angry frown. _

"_Do try to settle down, Miyako. In fact, I'll even help you with that…' She made hand signs and pressed her hands to the wall, a bright red sealing circle surrounding the elder Amakura. "Spirit Sealing!"_

_Black chains appeared around Miyako, wrapping tightly around her arms and legs, keeping her firmly in place so she couldn't move her limbs at all._

"_This will keep you from trying to take over my body. I will show you who is more powerful here," Selûne said as she began to disappear, retreating back to the real world._

The Amakura looked over Okami's head to see that the plains had disappeared and they were flying over the Rain Village. "It's about time…Okami, land in the clearing over there."

The wolf obeyed and landed softly on the ground, Selûne slipping off his back and inspecting her surroundings. There were no chakra signatures around that would warrant any trouble, so she breathed easy. Okami bumped her hand with his cold nose, wanting some attention. She ran her hand through his soft white fur, sitting down on the ground and pulling out a map.

"The Namida Shrine is only a few miles away Okami, so I think I can walk this," she said, her finger lightly trailing over the path that led to the shrine from where she was. Okami merely nodded his head as she rolled the map back up and faced toward the north. It was then that she sensed the two signatures heading fast toward her location.

'_Shit!'_

A kunai flew by her face and embedded itself in a tree, a small scratch appearing on her cheek. She turned her head in the direction where the knife had come from, the wound on her cheek healing rapidly. A blue blur shot out of the trees and came at her quickly, swinging a gigantic sword wrapped in bandages. She dodged it by jumping in the air and somersaulting over the person, drawing her katana out of its sheath as the man brought his sword swinging toward her again. She blocked his attack effortlessly, struggling to keep the blade from touching her as she stared into his face.

"It's been a while Kisame," she said, keeping a straight face. The missing nin cracked a grin and backed off from her, strapping Samehada to his back and crossing his arms over his chest.

"Long time no see, little girl," he said, his sharp canines glinting in the sunlight.

"If you're here, then that means that Itachi is here too," she said, turning to see the Uchiha walk out of the bushes, his calm demeanor in place. "Uchiha."

"You know, I was under the impression that we were closer than that, Selûne," Itachi said as he approached the Amakura, a smirk appearing on his face.

"Before you left me in the village for five months without contacting me after you said you would? Did you really expect me to clasp my hands over my heart and tell you how much I missed and loved you with all my heart? Sorry, but after some time I began to focus more on training and now I've changed. I'm no longer that emotional wreck I was back then; I've changed for the better and I won't be dragged down again."

Selûne's face gradually grew darker and darker with each passing word until she was literally glaring holes into Itachi's head. "Mind telling me why you two are here?"

"Our leader wanted us to help you on your mission to ensure your survival. You're essential in some future plans of his, so it is imperative that you stay alive. Kisame and I will make sure of that."

Selûne sighed heavily, her shoulders sagging. "I knew I shouldn't have told leader what I was doing. You two will only drag me down in this, so leave."

Itachi shook his head. "No."

Her eyes flashed dangerously, the red swirling in the blue depths. "I refuse to have you come with me. This mission is very dangerous and there is a chance that both of you will die."

"Whatever we encounter on this quest, I'm sure we'll be able to handle it. We didn't get to where we were by taking the easy road every time, right Itachi?" Kisame said, a grin on his face. Itachi nodded to his partner, turning back to the Amakura.

"We're here to help you and we're not leaving."

Selûne sighed again, bringing a hand to her head. "If you promise not to get in my way, you can come. But…if you interfere in any way, I'll make sure whatever leader threatened you with, I will make a thousand times worse."

Itachi nodded his head. "Very well. Where will we be going then?"

Selûne turned her head to the north, her eyes hard and determined. "Namida Shrine."


	24. The Amakura Crest Guardian

_**Unfortunately I am getting sicker and it has not been a very good week for me because of that. Make Momma happy and write a review! I'm anxious to know what people are thinking! No flames though! Uchiha cookies for everyone who reviews. **_

_**ShadowBloodNinja- I would like to hear that rant, just so you know. It's rare when something makes me laugh now because I've been so sick lately and my sense of humor died down. That part when you threw a cookie at that kid made me laugh because if I was still in school, that would have been something I would have done. Anyway, I'm not that good at writing battle scenes so I tried to make this as good as possible, but bleh! I hope you like this one. Too bad there's no fluff with Itachi, but the good thing is that Sasuke isn't mentioned haha.**_

_**Onward with the story! If anyone can guess what the guardian means by what he says to Selûne, I'll reward you. **_

* * *

No one had said a word since they had met up and the two Akatsuki males had teamed up with Selûne. They had been walking for nearly an hour and Itachi was beginning to get a little angry. Selûne hadn't looked at him since they had set off and the way she was acting made him even angrier. It had only been five months and she was a completely different person. One look at her face and he could tell that the Selûne he had known before was gone or possibly buried deep within the cold exterior.

Kisame looked at his partner, his face still that emotionless mask, but the shark-nin knew better. Itachi's feelings for the Amakura were obvious to him and he knew that the way Selûne had brushed Itachi off had hurt the Uchiha, even if he didn't show it. His eyes shifted to look at the white wolf that followed beside the Amakura. It was her chosen animal for the Summoning Jutsu and for some reason, it suited her quite well. Beautiful to look upon, but deadly as well.

Selûne stopped, her feet making a soft thud on the ground. "We're here."

Itachi and Kisame looked up at the small shrine nestled in the trees, Itachi raising an eyebrow. "This is where we were headed to? This little building?" Kisame asked.

Selûne didn't answer him. Instead she began walking up the steps to the shrine, Okami following behind her. Itachi and Kisame exchanged a look before they followed her. When she approached the doors, she stopped and turned to them.

"From this point on, you two cannot accompany me. Stay here until I come back."

"Why's that, little girl?" Kisame asked, his usual toothy grin spreading across his face.

"Because if you follow me and face the guardian of the crest with me, you will die and I don't intend to let my comrades fall," she said, her eyes slowly turning golden. "Now then…"

She pushed the doors to the shrine open, revealing an interior decorated with murals and flowers. Many of the murals depicted the rebirth of Miyako through the two sisters, her revenge upon Konoha and her fall by the sisters. The faces of the girls were obscured from the murals so it was impossible to tell who the sisters were, but one of the sisters wielded Arc Asunder, the blue lightning surrounding the blade as she brandished it at Miyako. The Amakura tore her eyes away from the walls to the altar in the middle of the shrine, the Amakura crest settled on top of the altar. Selûne took a few steps into the shrine before a low voice greeted her.

"Who dares to enter here?"

A man materialized from behind the altar, dressed in blue and white robes. His long black hair nearly reached the small of his back and his golden eyes glared angrily at Selûne, who glared back.

"I'm sure you know that no one except the Amakura clan members can enter here, and even so, they are still in danger here," Selûne said, placing one hand on her hip and leaning on her right foot. The man chuckled, placing his hand on the altar and keeping his eyes on her.

"You mean to tell me that you are one of the Amakura clan? Last I heard, the last of the clan was killed by one of their own. Are you the one who did it?"

"No." Selûne's voice had become frostier, if it was even possible. It also held a hint of anger. "My sister Mayu did. She and I are the only surviving members of the clan now."

"Hmph." The man began walking toward her, his steps slow and measured. She watched him warily, her hand on the hilt of her blade. "Very well then. If you claim to be one of the clan, you will be able to defeat me."

"How can you say that when shinobi from the clan have fallen in their search for the crests by the guardians? It's not guaranteed that I will be able to defeat you, but it is possible."

He smirked then, his eyes flashing red. "We'll see about that!"

His body began to twitch as leathery blue wings sprouted from his back, his skin becoming blue. Blue scales began to cover his flesh as his neck elongated, his hair falling out. His face lengthened until his mouth and nose had become a snout with rows upon rows of dangerously sharp teeth. A long tail wound its way around his body, the tip fitted with sharp spikes. Selûne's eyes widened slightly before she turned and ran out of the shrine, the man following her. Itachi and Kisame had made themselves comfortable against a tree, but they jumped up when they saw her run from the shrine. A strange being followed her, completely blue like Kisame, but a darker shade of blue. The Amakura turned back once she was a safe distance from the shrine in time to see the final transformation. The being grew in size until he dwarfed the tall trees, looking down his snout at the three shinobi. He had transformed into a giant blue dragon.

"Just great…" Selûne muttered, drawing her katana out of its sheath. "You two stay out of this."

Kisame had come forth with Samehada, but he stopped when she spoke. "I told you two if you interfere with this, you will be killed. And now that I see what this guardian has become…it's best you stay out of this."

The dragon began to laugh. "If you think that your friends will be spared, you are sorely mistaken. Once I kill you, they will be next. They will make a fine dessert."

Her teeth clenched as her katana transformed into a huge great sword. "Don't you touch them!"

Her eyes glowed red as she leaped at the monstrosity, her blade raised for the strike. The dragon laughed again, lifting a claw and flicking her, throwing her hard against the stone wall that surrounded the shrine. Her head collided with the stone, dots dancing before her eyes upon impact, but she managed to stay conscious. She blinked as she saw the dragon making its way toward Itachi and Kisame, the anger beginning to boil within her. She jumped up at the dragon once more and drove her blade deep into its back. The being let out an earsplitting screech before he grabbed her in his claws, squeezing hard around her tiny body. Selûne screamed, her lungs being crushed painfully.

"Selûne!" Itachi ran to aid her as Kisame swung his Samehada into the tail of the beast, dragging the scales of the sword along the scales of the appendage. The dragon roared as its scales were torn away by Samehada, its tail coming around and slamming against Kisame, knocking him back into the trees. Itachi drew a kunai and jumped at the beast's belly, driving the small knife into the soft flesh. The dragon plucked him up with its claws, throwing him against the stone wall. Selûne cracked her eyes open to see Itachi crumple to the ground, blood running down from his hairline.

"Itachi…." Her voice was soft, almost sad. The grip around her body tightened some more, her bones being crushed. A yell tore from her throat.

"_Want me to help you?"_

Miyako's voice echoed in her mind, the smugness of her question striking a chord in the Amakura. "And why should I need your help?"

"_Because the past few times I have helped you when you were a child, you were unstoppable. Let me help you and it'll be easier for you to take this thing down!"_

"You do realize in helping me, you will be aiding in your own destruction, right?" Selûne cocked an eyebrow, suspicious of Miyako's intentions. There was a low chuckle in her mind.

"_I know all too well, but I can see that even with that façade you put up, you still care deeply for that Uchiha. It reminds me of myself and Madara when we were still alive, always wanting to protect one another…so in this case, I'll make an exception. But this will be the only time. Got it?"_

"Whatever. It's not like I asked for your help anyway."

Miyako chuckled again before she began to slowly meld with Selûne. The power that surged through Selûne was incredible. A black chakra began to emanate from her being as her eyes shot open, her eyes completely red now. The dragon's golden eyes narrowed at the sight as she struggled against the claws holding her, slowly forcing its fingers open until she was able to escape. She stood upon its finger, staring up at the beast with an evil smile on her face.

"So…I see that you are one of the sisters of the prophecy. This changes things!" The dragon lunged for her with its jaws, but she jumped away, its jaws instead clamping down on its own hand. Selûne jumped onto its head, taking out two kunai and stabbing them into its eyes. A loud roar rang through the forest, jarring birds and animals alike from their hiding spots. The large lizard swung its head from side to side, managing to dislodge the Amakura. She landed on the ground behind it, watching as the beast stomped around angrily, holding its hands to its eyes. She smirked, her eyes flashing gold before returning to blood red.

"First rule in fighting a creature like this, Selûne. Blind it so that it cannot see you, then use its disadvantage to your advantage," Selûne said, but it was really Miyako who was speaking as she now had complete control of Selûne's body. She glanced at the fallen Uchiha, taking a moment to approach him and inspect him for any fatal wounds. Luckily no bones were broken, but he had a nasty bump on the head. Her hands glowed black as she healed him of his wounds. It was then that the dragon turned to face her.

It was blind, but now it was using its sense of smell to locate the Amakura. A glint on its neck caught her eye. The sword she had embedded into its flesh was still there!

"This is our chance. We need to drive that into the heart!"

The dragon drew its head back, opening its mouth wide. The back of its throat began to glow slightly and Selûne's eyes widened. "Shit!"

She grabbed Itachi's limp body and managed to get him out of the way of the flame that spewed from the giant lizard's throat, but she wasn't so lucky. Her leg was caught in the fire, the skin turning an angry red. She cursed loudly as she settled Itachi against the wall of the shrine, turning back to the beast. Her leg had healed fully now, the skin back to a normal peach color.

'_Thank Kami for kekkei genkais!'_

She watched as the dragon looked blindly around, trying to sense her in the vicinity. She took her water source and poured it into the dirt, swirling it around to make mud, which she then applied to her body. This would mask her scent for a short time. She didn't do the same to Itachi because the beast was more focused on her and wouldn't bother the Uchiha until she was defeated.

'_Okay…my best bet would be to use a few clones to distract him while I retrieve the sword. If I channel my chakra into it, it will take it down much more quickly. It's gotta work!'_

She made hand signs and stood as seven crystal clones appeared around her. They drew their respective katanas and dashed toward the blind lizard. The dragon's head whipped back and forth as it sensed the girl in several places at once, not feeling the real one crawling up its back. Selûne grasped the hilt of the great sword and pulled it from the blue flesh. The dragon roared once more as it swatted at the Amakura, but she evaded the attack. She landed in front of it as two of her clones jumped at its face, slashing at its snout. The dragon's jaws opened wide and swallowed the clones whole. Inside the mouth of the dragon, one of the clones slipped down the throat and landed in the stomach while the other one stayed in the mouth. Both made signs at the exact same time and exploded, sending crystal shards everywhere to embed into the soft flesh of the dragon's insides. The beast reeled backwards onto its back, leaving itself vulnerable to an attack which the Amakura took. Infusing her blade with chakra, she jumped over the dragon, hovering over it for a moment before bringing the sword down into its chest. The dragon screamed as the sword penetrated its heart, its body completely still. Its bleeding maw gaped open in a silent roar as she pulled the sword from its chest and slashed it across its throat, blood splattering over her entire body and painting her face in a gruesome pattern. Her eyes glowed with an eerie red light as she stared down at the bloody form of the dragon.

Slowly the lizard began to shrink, its scales and tail disappearing as the gaping jaw shrunk into its face. Before her very eyes the man reappeared before her, his throat bleeding heavily and blood trickling from the corners of his mouth. His bleeding eyes stared blankly at her. Selûne's hand glowed as she covered his eyes with her hand, healing his eyes so that he could see her.

When his eyes regained their light, they settled on the Amakura. Her eyes were blood red and the blue tattoos on her face were also red and jagged. There was an ominous black chakra swirling around her, causing her hair to hover around her slightly giving her an ethereal appearance. He coughed, blood rising in his throat.

"It's you…Miyako…" he said softly. "I never thought that I would see you again…"

Selûne, or Miyako, snorted disdainfully. "Did you honestly believe I was gone for good? I'm not that easy to get rid of, fool. Now that you have been defeated, I can go back to sleep for a while."

"Wait!"

Miyako stopped before she could retreat back into Selûne's mind, glaring down at the man. "What now?"

"I…have failed to protect the crest. When you have returned the girl to her body, tell her to grant me a swift death…that's all I ask."

Miyako glared down at him, deciding whether or not to heed his request. She sighed in annoyance, placing a hand on her hip. "Fine, but don't think of this as an act of sympathy. This is for my benefit, not yours."

She withdrew into Selûne's mind as the younger Amakura took her body back, her eyes and tattoos returning to their normal blue color. She looked down at the bloodied man, her eyes hard. He swallowed thickly, the metallic tang of blood nearly making him choke. The pain was immense.

He watched as the girl made hand signs, her hands glowing with a white chakra. She pressed them to his chest and a soothing warmth spread through his body, but what surprised him was that she was healing him instead of killing him! When she had finished, she took some of the blood on his throat and opened his robe to expose his stomach, drawing an intricate seal on his abdomen. Once the seal was completed, she pressed her hands together and brought it down onto his stomach. Fire shot through him and he yelled in pain as the seal took effect, burning into his skin.

"I'm placing this seal on you so you can't shift into your dragon form. I don't want to have to fight you again," she said as she coughed, tiny flecks of blood dotting his face.

"Why…why heal me? After I just tried to kill you and your friends…why would you do this?"

"Believe me, if it was me, you would be dead in an instant," Kisame said as he emerged from the shadows of the forest, wiping away some blood from a cut on his head. "You might be useful for some information anyway."

"Kisame, check on Itachi. I managed to heal him partly, but I want to make sure he's alright," Selûne said as she removed her hands from the man and he sat up. "What's your name?"

"My name is Ryuunosuke Amakura. May I ask yours?"

"I'm Selûne Amakura and yes, I am of the Amakura clan."

Ryuunosuke looked down at his hands, now completely healed. "I figured you were when I saw the transformation you went through. When I saw Miyako, I knew immediately that you were one of the sisters ordained by the prophecy to destroy Miyako. What confuses me is that you allowed her to take control of your body when she is clearly your enemy…"

"Miyako has revealed many things to me and while she may be my enemy, sometimes it is best to learn about your enemy and use some of their moves against them. Having Miyako take over my body will help me in the future when I face her because when she uses my body, she unconsciously feeds me more information about her fighting style." Selûne turned her head to find Itachi slowly standing up, supported by Kisame. "Also…she and I have a lot in common, so why not exploit it to my own ends?"

"You are smart," Ryuunosuke said, taking her hand in one of his. "Maybe since you have defeated me, it will be easier for you to obtain the other two crests. Moriko will surely be defeated by you as she is the weakest of the guardians, but it was clever of you to go after the most difficult guardian."

"How did you become a guardian?" she asked.

"As you know, the crests were created by the respective clans. The Amakura crest created by Takao Amakura was to be guarded by a member of the Amakura clan. I was chosen to be the guardian when Takao saw my ability to become a spirit dragon, which is what you saw. Spirit dragons are not easy to take down, but because of Miyako inside you, you were able to get past my defenses and strike. Miyako is full of cunning and tact and because she faced a spirit dragon during her time, it is no surprise that she was able to help you defeat me. The Senju crest created by Chikako Senju is protected by Moriko Senju, who is notorious for her use of Wood Style jutsu. However…your display of power will easily overtake her, but do not show Moriko mercy because she will not share the sentiment. The Tsuchihara crest created by Maya Tsuchihara…actually…I can't remember where it is..."

Selûne anime fell to the ground, a groan escaping her lips. "You're supposed to be a guardian! You're supposed to know where the damn things are!"

"Calm down and listen to me. In time you will understand what I mean when I say this; you are the guardian of the Tsuchihara crest."

Selûne blinked in surprise as she sat up, giving him a weird look. "So you mean to say that I am the guardian? What do you mean by that?"

"Figure it out on your own. I can't tell you everything, you know," Ryuunosuke said, an anime vein popping on his head. Selûne huffed and turned away from him, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Screw this. You keep talking in riddles and I can't exactly follow what you're saying right now after you decided to nearly crush me to death and give me a concussion!"

"Well ex-cuuuuuuse me for trying to do my job! For all I know, you could have been a really good imposter!" An anime vein popped on Selûne's head and she knocked the elder Amakura over the head, an anime bump appearing on his head.

"Imposter!? I just kicked your ass all over the place and we know full well that no one but an Amakura could have defeated you, you idiot!" she laughed in his face.

"Maybe you just got lucky! And you're the idiot!" he retorted.

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"Shut up!"

"Make me!"

"I'm going to deck you!"

"Go for it, girl!"

"Grrrr!"

"Stop fighting, you two," Kisame said as he made his way toward them with Itachi, who appeared to be walking on his own now. Ryuunosuke and Selûne were so close to each other that their foreheads were touching, their faces matching in angry expressions which changed to surprise when Kisame interrupted. "You two are acting like children."

"Well since ONE of us is a child, you've got that partly correct," Ryuunosuke said, grinning at Selûne. Her eye twitched before she slapped him hard across the face, leaving a red handprint on his cheek.

"Now then, I'm going to get the crest. You wait here," she said as she ran up the stairs, leaving the three men together to glare at each other.

"So you're the one I have to thank for this wound," Kisame said, fingering the gash on his head. Ryuunosuke got to his feet, throwing a smirk at the shark nin. "Itachi, remind me next time we're in this area to pay this guy a visit and kill him."

"Hn."

Itachi spared Ryuunosuke a glance before he looked toward the entrance of the shrine, seeing the Amakura come out holding the Amakura crest. The blue jewels set in the stone twinkled in the bright sunlight, reflecting onto her face. She stared at it for a moment before tucking it away in her pack.

"One down, two more to go."

Selûne began to walk down the steps of the shrine when she stopped suddenly, pain coursing through her body. Miyako chuckled in her mind.

"_Looks like you may have been crushed a little too much. My interfering doesn't help either because I put your body through a bit of strain. Sorry little girl."_

She felt herself falling forward. She expected to hit the ground, but found herself in the arms of Itachi, who had rushed to her side.

"I apologize Selûne. I fear I may have been a bit too rough with you," Ryuunosuke said as he appeared next to Itachi, looking down into her face. Selûne smiled slightly before she coughed, her lungs aching for air.

'_Why is it that I felt fine before, but now my body is going to hell?'_

"_It was my will that kept you from feeling the full force of the pain, but now that I withdrew, it would only take a little time for it to kick in."_ Miyako sounded smug.

"Damn you Miyako," she said before she closed her eyes, falling to unconsciousness.

* * *

Itachi shifted so that Selûne was situated on his back, turning to Ryuunosuke. "Which way is the village?"

Ryuunosuke pointed to the west. "It's about three miles that way. Now that she has retrieved the crest, you can leave me to my thoughts."

He disappeared into the shrine, slamming the double doors shut behind him. Kisame looked to his partner, shrugging his shoulders. "Might as well get going. I get the feeling we're going to need to rest up before the next battle."

"Agreed. Selûne is in no condition to fight right now after taking on an opponent like that, so finding an inn and resting is our best option right now," Itachi said, turning his head to look into her peaceful face.

"Well I wouldn't mind resting in a village. We can stock up on supplies for the journey," Kisame said as they began their walk toward the village. Itachi nodded, following his partner into the forest, the shadows swallowing them up.

Ryuunosuke watched them as they disappeared, a small smile on his face.

"Selûne Amakura…you are a truly interesting person. I'll have to keep an eye on you."


	25. Ryuunosuke

_**This chapter is a little rushed, but I'm just trying to advance the story cause it seems like it's just kinda pussyfooting around. **_

_**ShadowBloodNinja- The storm has reached here and the wind is blowing hard. AWESOMENESS! Since I don't have to go to work tomorrow, I managed to get this up. Anyway...you're kinda there, but not quite. I'll give you a little hint. Think about what the kekkei genkai of the Tsuchihara clan is. Maybe that will help you a lil. Anyway...my dr appointment got canceled, so I'm a few days away from the medicine that I REALLY need :/. This sucks! I read your PM and I cracked up reading it. I can believe that all happened haha.**_

_**Onward with the story!**_

* * *

"_Where am I?"_

_Selûne was standing in a room lit by a roaring fire in the fireplace and moonlight pouring through the windows. Rain lashed against the glass panes. In front of her was a bed, which contained a single person. The figure in the bed stirred slightly, turning over onto their side giving Selûne a good look at their features. A small gasp escaped her lips._

"_Miyako…"_

_The elder Amakura slept peacefully in the large bed, unaware of the presence of the younger girl. The sound of the door opening softly caught Selûne's attention and she turned to see who it was. A rather tall man with long shaggy black hair and red eyes made his way into the room, closing the door behind him. He crept toward the bed silently, staring down at the sleeping Miyako for a moment before sitting on the edge of the bed and bending over her. Selûne couldn't make out what he was doing, but she suspected that he was kissing Miyako. The woman woke up and smiled at the man, wrapping her arms around his neck._

"_Madara…saiai…I missed you…"_

"_I missed you as well, Miyako."_

_Selûne's eyes widened. This was Madara Uchiha? He looked almost exactly like Sasuke!_

"_How's the baby?" Madara asked, his fingers caressing Miyako's cheek. The Amakura smiled and placed her hand over her rather large belly, rubbing the bulge fondly. _

"_It's doing well, but all that matters is that you have returned, Madara," Miyako said as she pulled the Uchiha into the bed with her. Madara gathered her into his arms, kissing the Amakura gently on her lips. "Aishiteru Madara."_

"_Aishiteru…Miyako."_

_Selûne trembled as she watched the two lovers slowly take each other's clothes off. She squeezed her eyes shut, wishing for the vision to disappear so she wouldn't have to endure this. When she opened her eyes, she was in Miyako's room in her mind. _

"_Enjoy yourself?" Miyako said, her red eyes penetrating the girl._

"_Why would you show me something like that? That isn't exactly something you show kin!" Selûne yelled, a heavy blush settled in her cheeks._

"_What you just witnessed was the last night that Madara and I spent together before he fought Hashirama Senju. The last night I ever saw Madara alive…" Miyako stared down at the floor, her voice sad. "I was only a month and a half away from giving birth to Seiichi and Madara never got to see his own son. Madara…"_

_Miyako was almost to the point of tears when she looked up at Selûne. "But why show me that?" the younger Amakura asked._

"_Because of your Uchiha, Itachi. He reminds me of Madara and the connection you two have is almost similar to what Madara and I had. You both love each other and will do anything to protect each other, even if it means your life. I may be hell bent on revenge, but even I have a heart."_

"_So you say…" Selûne said, crossing her arms over her chest and giving Miyako a skeptical look. Miyako chuckled as she turned to the small opening in the room that she used to look through Selûne's eyes. Selûne's eyes were closed at the moment, but Miyako used her mind's eye to see what was going on around the girl. She was in a room at an inn just outside of the Rain Village, Itachi sitting on the windowsill staring out at the moon. So instead of going to the Rain Village, they had stopped in a small town on the outskirts. She watched as Itachi glanced over at the sleeping girl, getting up and making his way toward her. Miyako grinned, a feeling of euphoria spreading through her._

"_It's time for you to wake up. I think something interesting is about to happen."_

_Selûne couldn't get a last word in before she was forced out of Miyako's domain and into the waking world._

Itachi sat on the side of the bed that Selûne lay upon, looking down at the sleeping girl. It had been nearly three hours since their battle with Ryuunosuke and she had yet to wake up. This posed the perfect opportunity for Itachi as he leaned down close to her, his lips inches from hers. The air that blew from her nostrils warmed his lips considerably before they met hers, the coolness of her lips a slight shock to his. His eyes were closed as his lips moved against hers, so he didn't see her eyes open slowly. He didn't move when one of her arms curled around his neck and her hand tangled in his hair, pushing him more into her. Itachi put his arms around her waist and drew her up into a sitting position, breaking the kiss to nuzzle her cheek. Selûne smiled faintly, staring out the window.

"Well this is a nice way to wake up," she murmured, turning her head to look into his red eyes. Itachi spared her the smallest of smiles before untangling himself from her arms, standing up from the bed. The door opened and Kisame walked in carrying some food.

"Well it's about time you woke up, little girl," he drawled as he approached the bed and laid her plate on the nightstand, handing Itachi a plate of onigiri.

"How long have I been out?" she asked, taking a bite into an apple.

"Only a few hours. Any normal shinobi would be out for a few days, but you're just no ordinary shinobi, are you? We could even call you a jinchuriki, but you don't have a tailed beast in you, just an evil bitch of a spirit."

Selûne didn't respond. Instead she got up from the bed and walked over to her pack, fishing the Amakura crest out of a pocket. She stared down at it as she ate her fruit, running her thumb over the symbol engraved in the stone. The circle with the wing in the center sent a wave of nostalgia through her as she remembered the same symbol on her childhood home and the ring around her neck.

"There are two more crests to acquire…" she said slowly, catching the attention of both men. "We got the hard one out of the way, so the other two will be easier to get. But the Tsuchihara crest…what does he mean by me being the guardian? I can't possibly be the guardian…"

"Maybe you already have it, but you just don't know it yet," Kisame said, munching on his rice ball. Itachi didn't say anything, he just sat there quietly eating his food.

"It doesn't make sense…" she said. Itachi watched her carefully, scrutinizing her features. The hand holding the crest dropped to her side as she stared out the window at the full moon, her brows scrunched in thought.

'_Guardian of the Tsuchihara crest…me? If that's the case, is the crest hidden in the prayer house? If it had been, I would have sensed it…'_

"I figure we can stay for a day before we set out again," Kisame said as he munched on his rice ball.

"Hn. Fine by me," Itachi said. Selûne jumped onto the windowsill and sat on it with her legs hanging out the window. Her muscles ached slightly from the battle, but with a flash of her eyes, the pain dissipated.

'_My body can't take the strain of Miyako taking control. Every time she does, she saps more of my strength and that is something I cannot afford to lose!'_

She stood from the windowsill, causing both men to look at her. "I'm going for a walk. Don't wait up for me." She jumped from the window onto the ground and took off walking.

"What do you suppose is on her mind?" Kisame asked Itachi. The Uchiha didn't respond; he just kept eating his food like nothing had happened.

* * *

Selûne weaved her way through the villagers, ignoring lewd looks from the men and the stares from the women. Her mind was so preoccupied with what Ryuunosuke had told her that she bumped into someone hard.

"Hey, watch it!" she yelled, rubbing her shoulder from where she had been struck before looking up to see who it was. Her eyes widened at who she saw.

"Ryuunosuke?"

"Hey."

His eyes were no longer golden, but a beautiful warm shade of brown. His hair was still loose and flowing, but in a very masculine way. His blue and white robe was parted slightly so that a wide expanse of tanned flesh peeked through and Selûne blushed slightly as she averted her eyes from his person.

"What're you doing here? I thought you were supposed to stay at Namida Shrine?" she asked, trying to look anywhere but his exposed chest.

"Well even I am allowed to take a break from my duties as guardian. Besides I have a clone back at the shrine, so it's still protected," he said, crossing his arms over his chest and burying his arms in the long sleeves of his robe. "May I accompany you to wherever you're going?"

"Um…well…I-I guess so…" Kami, why was she stuttering like a love struck girl? She was eighteen years old for Kami's sake! Ryuunosuke smiled at her and she almost swooned at the sight, but stopped herself before she could. She steeled herself and walked past him, the elder Amakura falling into step beside her. An awkward silence settled between them for a few moments before Selûne broke the silence.

"So…how old are you Ryuunosuke?" The man looked at her for a moment before smiling and turning back to the road in front of them.

"Well…I've been at the shrine for nearly thirteen years, so I would say I am about twenty-seven years old."

Selûne fell back into her awkward silence. "If you don't mind my asking, how old are you, little Selûne?"

Her eye twitched slightly as she turned her head slowly toward him, raising a fist at him. "I'm NOT little! I'll have you know I'm eighteen years old! Legally an adult!"

He held his hands up in defense, a nervous grin on his face. "Alright, I apologize. I didn't mean to insult you in any way."

The two walked in silence once more, ignoring the strange looks that the villagers were giving them. Selûne noted that many of the women stared at Ryuunosuke, ogling him openly. The man didn't seem to notice them though, instead keeping his eyes on his beautiful companion. They stopped for a moment to purchase some dango from a shop before making their way out of the town and settling in a small meadow to eat their food.

"So where are your companions?" he asked as he took another bite of the sweet dumpling.

"They're back at the inn. The last thing they were doing before I left was eating dinner so I would assume that they're retiring for the night. After today's ordeal, I don't blame them," Selûne said as she stared down at her dango.

"I do apologize for harming them like I did. Like I said before, it is my duty to protect the shrine and the crest, but since you have beaten me and proven that you are one ordained by prophecy, I allowed you to take the crest. Also…I am in your debt for healing me and sparing my life. I cannot thank you enough."

"Well…I don't particularly like killing anyone especially if they do not deserve to die. Besides…it's nice to know there's one other of the clan who is still alive," she said, taking a bite of dango and chewing thoughtfully. She heard Ryuunosuke chuckle softly.

"You are an intriguing woman, Selûne. You have so much power, yet you don't flaunt it like so many others. I like that."

"Why should I? I like to keep my opponents guessing with me, so I try to give the appearance of one who does not look too tough so that when they underestimate me, I take them by surprise."

"Not to mention you also protect your comrades fiercely. I noticed how you protected that one man who accompanies you, taking damage for him just to keep him safe. It's obvious you care more for him than you would a mere friend…" his voice trailed off as he looked up at the full moon. Selûne's eyes shifted to him for a moment before looking down at the ground, watching the grass move slightly in the breeze.

"Have you ever been in love, Ryuunosuke?" she asked, her voice soft.

Ryuunosuke's head jerked to look at her, his eyes wide. "That…is a very personal question to ask."

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to," she said, giving him a small smile. That smile reassured Ryuunosuke into answering her question.

"Well…since I was taken away from my normal life when I was only fourteen, I didn't have any time for love being the shrine guardian. I rarely venture out of the shrine, but ever since you came along, I feel like I can be out more often because my duty to the shrine is not as important anymore."

"But you still have to remain there?"

"Unfortunately yes…it's a sad fate. I have to remain there for the rest of my life," he said, his eyes returning to the night sky.

"I'm sorry…if I had known, maybe I would have granted you a swift death to escape such a boring destiny," she said, moving her hand to rest on his shoulder. He smiled at her, shifting away from her.

"A life without purpose is not a life at all. Those are the words my mother spoke to me before I was taken away to the shrine and ever since then, I have lived by those words. Being the guardian is my purpose and it has been my life for a long time."

"I admire your dedication…it reminds me of someone else I know," she said, suddenly thinking of Naruto. His dedication to becoming Hokage matched Ryuunosuke's dedication to his guardian role.

"Yes, but after today, I feel differently…" he said, turning toward her and moving closer to her. "Your generosity in sparing my life has left me indebted to you and I'm afraid there's nothing I can do to repay you now, but in time I know that I will be able to in my own way. No matter where you go, I will be there in spirit to help you through your hardships to offer advice until my time to repay my debt comes."

Selûne blinked in surprise as she watched his face get closer to hers. "You're a beautiful woman Selûne. Any man would be lucky to have you as his."

She closed her eyes expecting him to kiss her on the lips, but instead he kissed her cheek. She sat there in shock, her mind trying to comprehend what had happened. Ryuunosuke smiled at her, tucking a few loose strands of her hair behind her ear. "You look surprised, my dear. Care to tell me what's on your mind?"

Selûne shook her head and looked at him, her face growing hot. "W-well I th-thought you were going to…to…"

"To kiss you? To tell you the truth, I am sorely tempted to. You are the first person to pose a challenge to me and I admire strong women. It would be so easy for me to just give in and kiss you, but I get the feeling that it would not be accepted by you. Your heart belongs to another and that is something that I cannot change, no matter how much I wish I could. Just know that I will always be here for you in your time of need and will help you if I can."

Selûne blushed and lowered her head, trying to hide her face from his view. "Thank you Ryuu, it means a lot to hear that from you. You're not like most men…"

"Only because I'm devilishly handsome and irresistible," he said, a sly grin appearing on his face.

"Maybe compared to an ogre," she retorted, a laugh escaping her throat. Ryuunosuke jerked back, his eyes going wide.

"Excuse me!? I'll have you know I attract many women, young and old alike! I'm irresistible I tell you!"

"I'm sure…" she said, standing up and brushing her bottom off before placing her hands on her hips. She didn't notice the vein that popped out in Ryuunosuke's forehead before he jumped up and caught her in his arms. Her expression was surprised as he buried his hand in her hair and brought his lips to hers in a gentle kiss. Selûne's eyes widened even more at what was occurring. Ryuunosuke was kissing her! What's worse was that she felt a warmth in her chest that spread throughout her whole body which made her relax into his hard body.

'_It feels good…but…Itachi!'_

An image of the stoic Uchiha flashed in her mind and she reacted immediately. She pushed him away, feeling guilty for kissing him as well. The elder Amakura watched her as she took a few steps away from him slowly before turning on her heel and running off into the town. He smirked and turned toward the trees.

"You can come out now, my friend."

There was a soft rustle as Itachi emerged from the branches, landing quietly on the ground. His Sharingan stared down the Amakura, the anger radiating off of him in waves.

"Why did you do that?" he asked, gritting his teeth to keep from using Tsukuyomi on the man. Ryuunosuke simply smiled, shrugging his shoulders gracefully.

"What can I say? She's a beautiful woman and any man would be lucky to have her, but I can see that you already have a hold on her heart. I can't make her change who she cares about, but I am kin. I will watch out for her safety and make sure that she does not come to harm."

"If I see you lay a hand on her again…" Itachi began, but Ryuunosuke cut him off.

"Come now. I won't touch her again after she rejected me. Even though she may not feel for me the way I do for her, I will be there for her when she needs it."

"You've known her for a few hours. You don't know what love is after only a few hours," Itachi said, his eyes slowly changing into the Mangekyou. "I've known her for years."

"Peace, my friend. I do not want to fight over such a petty argument. I will not fight you for Selûne's heart because you already have a hold of it and it is obvious I cannot compete with you. I only ask that you take care of her and make sure that she stays safe from harm," Ryuunosuke said, raising a hand in defense. Itachi watched him warily before nodding, his body relaxing slightly. "Good, now I must take my leave. Farewell…until we meet again." The Amakura made hand signs and disappeared in a whirlwind of blue feathers, leaving the Uchiha alone to stare at the empty air.

* * *

Selûne approached the inn, stopping to catch her breath, having run all the way from the meadow ever since her encounter with Ryuunosuke.

'_I don't want to admit it…but that was exhilarating.'_

The feel of his kiss still burned on her lips and she touched them gently, remembering how gentle he had been.

"Itachi…" she murmured. "I'm sorry…"

'_I'll need to keep away from Ryuunosuke before something happens that I'll regret.'_

She jumped through the window of their room to find Kisame asleep against the wall and Itachi nowhere to be seen.

'_I wonder where he went…'_

She snuck past Kisame to the bed and settled down in it without pulling the covers over herself, closing her eyes and willing herself to try to sleep.

'_Tomorrow we'll start searching for the other crests and we'll need to be well-rested. It won't get any easier than this.'_


	26. Moriko, Guardian of the Senju Crest

_**Sweet! Another long ass chapter! It took me a while to write this because I was writing down ideas for what would happen and then finally put it down! I'm beginning to really like writing this story! I also like putting in little tidbits of what will come in future chapters as a little teaser, but that just how I am. I'll write it, then put a twist to it :P. I've also been putting themes to characters. Here's how it will go. **_

_**Selûne- Aerith's Theme Orchestral from FFVII Advent Children**_

_**Miyako- Betrayer's Theme from NWN2 Mask of the Betrayer (PERFECT!)**_

_**Ryuunosuke: NWN Main Theme (I think it sounds good! Don't judge me or Hidan will sacrifice you to Jashin! XD)**_

_**Mayu- Mysterious Theme from Naruto Shippuden Unreleased (Don't ask...for some reason, I was listening to it while writing Mayu and it fit.)**_

_**Itachi and Selûne Romance Theme- Reminiscence from Fullmetal Alchemist (I think it's pretty!)**_

_**Sasuke and Selûne Romance Theme- Jaheira's Romance Theme from BG2 SOA (Idk...I like it. It's sad and pretty at the same time.)**_

_**Selûne vs. Mayu Battle Theme- One Winged Angel from FFVII (I like it! No judging! A girl can dream, right...?)**_

_**There will be many more to come as the story progresses, but those are what I have chosen. If anyone feels like this can be corrected a little, just review to let me know and I'll see how it is. **_

_**Onward with the story. Naruto characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto, but other characters belong to mwah!**_

_**Opening Theme: No Boy No Cry by Stance Punks (Naruto Opening #6)**_

* * *

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are we the-"

"Say it one more time and I will shove Samehada so far up your ass you'll be shitting scales for a month."

Kisame shrank to the back of the group anime sobbing. For once, Itachi actually agreed with Kisame about their traveling. "It's been three days of non-stop walking, Selûne. Don't you think we could take a rest?"

"Don't tell me you two are tired already? We're almost there for Kami's sake!" Selûne said, turning to face them and putting her hands on her hips, giving them a pout. "The sooner we get there, the better."

"Well I don't know about you, but I'm taking a damn break," Kisame said as he flopped down against the trunk of a large tree, Itachi following suit. Selûne sighed heavily, sitting down and crossing her legs Indian style while crossing her arms over her chest.

"You two are such a hassle. I don't know how Leader puts up with you guys," she said, staring the two men down.

"Please, you know we're hot, just admit it," Kisame said, wagging his eyebrows at the girl, who blushed in embarrassment before jumping to her feet.

"T-that's not true! For your information, there's only one person I think is hot," she said, turning her head away and pouting.

"*cough* Itachi *cough*" Kisame said, attempting to hide his answer behind his fake coughs. It worked on Selûne, but Itachi's red eyes shifted toward him, giving him the almighty Uchiha glare.

"Well while you two babies sit here and take your little 'break', I'm going to go scout ahead. The Sound village is only a few hundred paces away and the crest should be situated in the temple on the outskirts, so I'm going to go find it."

"Yeah yeah, wake us up when you're done," Kisame said as he leaned further back into the tree, both he and Itachi closing their eyes.

"You two are useless…" she growled, turning on her heel and storming off into the woods. Kisame cracked an eye open to watch her disappear from sight until he sat back up with a wide grin.

"Well now that we got rid of her for a while, wanna play a game Itachi?"

"Hn."

"I'll take that as a yes."

* * *

Selûne made her way quietly through the woods, keeping alert for any traps that were hidden. So far she had come across a few tripwires, but a simple step over them and she was in the clear. She could hear the distant voices and hustle of the Sound village, but she steered clear of them. If she was caught, more than likely she would be turned over to Orochimaru, whose headquarters was situated in the Land of Sound.

'_Doesn't make it any easier than this…'_

The darkness of the trees slowly gave way to a wide clearing and nestled in the trees on the opposite side of where she came from was the temple she had been searching for.

"Mori Temple…"

The Amakura slowly made her way toward the large building, looking around warily. So far, so good…

Once her foot touched the first step, all hell broke loose. Vines shot toward her and bound her tightly, rendering her immobile.

'_These aren't ordinary vines…they're made of wood!'_

"_Nice to see someone who can use the Senju Wood Style jutsu again…"_ Miyako's voice drawled in her mind.

"Identify yourself, stranger!" A woman's voice rang out, making Selûne turn her head to see who it was. A beautiful woman with long blonde hair and orange eyes approached her, dressed in earthy colors.

'_Not exactly what I was expecting…'_

"_This is Moriko!? She looks like one of those models in those magazines at the bookstore!"_

"_Shut up Miyako!"_

"I said identify yourself or you will endure a very painful death," Moriko said, her voice deadly soft. Selûne struggled against the vines some more before looking the woman right in the eye.

"My name is Selûne Amakura and I'm here for the Senju crest," she said boldly. Moriko snorted, releasing the vines around the girl. "That petty thing? Go ahead and take it for all I care. I'm tired of guarding this godforsaken place and it doesn't help when Orochimaru is right next door conducting his creepy ass experiments and I can hear the screams in the middle of the night. You taking it will finally release me from this stupid guardian thing."

Selûne blinked stupidly. "You mean you're not bound to here for the rest of your life?"

"Of course not! Who the hell said that I was?" Moriko asked, cocking an eyebrow at the younger girl.

"Well…Ryuunosuke-"

"That explains it. That boy has a stick so far up his ass that I'm surprised he can even walk, then again he probably likes it," Moriko said, snorting with contempt. Selûne's eye twitched slightly as she walked past Moriko and into the temple, retrieving the Senju crest and tucking it into her pack.

"_Well that was fucking easy!"_

"Damn it Miyako, shut up for once!" Something clicked in Selûne's mind and she realized she had said that out loud…and yelled it as well. Moriko materialized before her, a death glare in her eyes.

"Whose name did you just say!?" the orange-eyed woman yelled, pointing a finger at the Amakura's nose. A sweatdrop appeared on Selûne's head as she nervously scratched the back of her head.

"Uhhhhh…Chiyako is what I said! Yeah, Chiyako! She's a spirit priestess that I command and sometimes she doesn't shut up in my head," Selûne said quickly, hoping to escape the woman's wrath. Moriko stared at her for a few moments before relaxing visibly.

"Alright then, get the hell out of here!" she yelled, stepping aside so that Selûne could leave. "For a second, I thought you said Miyako. I swear if I ever see that nasty whore again, I'm going to rip my eyes out!"

Selûne had just passed Moriko when Miyako began screaming in her mind, but at the same time she took control of Selûne's body and screamed at her.

"Who are you calling a nasty whore, you fucking sorry excuse for a Senju. Go get gangbanged by a bunch of nasty fat men, yeah!"

Moriko's expression became furious as she commanded the wooden vines to wrap tightly around the Amakura once more. She stepped closer to her and inspected her, noting the red eyes that glared at her with such hatred. "You know, it's not a very nice thing to lie to your elders, little girl. I see you harbor Miyako within you so you must be one of the sisters that the prophecy spoke of."

"ENOUGH with the prophecy!" Miyako spat, some saliva landing on Moriko's cheek. "It won't come true and I won't be stopped!"

"So you say, but then again…being the whore of Madara Uchiha might have had its benefits." Miyako's face darkened as she stared down the Senju woman.

"What the fuck did you just say…?" she said in a deadly soft voice, anger rising in her.

"With someone like Uchiha, you really lowered your standards. It's surprising that he was even man enough to get you with child, I mean…most of the Uchiha are nothing but pretty man-whores."

Miyako growled. No one talked about Madara in that way to her! She clenched her fists and flared her chakra, fire surrounding her being. The wooden vines burned away and fell to the ground useless as the possessed Amakura glared at the Senju. "You're going to die for what you said!" She made hand signs and clapped her hands together. "Wind Style: Spirit Hurricane!"

She drew in a deep breath and opened her mouth in a soundless scream, a huge gust of wind rushing at the Senju. Moriko evaded it by jumping out of the way of the attack, the Spirit Hurricane instead going for the woods and tearing through the foliage, interrupting a peaceful game of shogi between Itachi and Kisame and also alerting the Sound village.

* * *

Inside Orochimaru's base, the sound of the Spirit Hurricane roared loudly overhead, causing Kabuto to drop vials of poison, Sasuke to run for cover and Orochimaru to latch onto something with his freakishly long tongue. When the attack passed over, all three shinobi congregated in the Sannin's chambers.

"Obviously there's a battle going on up there, so it might be a good idea to check it out," Kabuto said, looking toward the snake and the former Konoha genin. "So who'll it be?"

Both Orochimaru and Kabuto looked at Sasuke, the Uchiha glaring back at them. "Fine!" Sasuke said turning away from them. "I'll kill whoever it is making the racket and be back in ten minutes."

"Magnificent," Orochimaru said, licking his lips in a very pedophilic way. Sasuke snorted and disappeared from sight.

* * *

Itachi and Kisame were sitting peacefully playing a game of shogi and for some reason, Kisame was winning. Itachi's usually emotionless expression was steadily getting angrier with each move and it looked like he was going to explode any minute until the Spirit Hurricane ripped through, the force of the wind taking their shogi board with it. The two Akatsuki members sat there in surprise, Kisame's hand still hovering over where his game piece had been. Both men looked at each other, their expressions mirroring the other's.

"It seems Selûne has engaged the enemy," Kisame said with a grin slowly spreading across his face.

"So it would seem…we should probably go help her," Itachi said apathetically, getting to his feet.

* * *

Moriko's eyes narrowed as she faced the Amakura, a small tinge of nervousness spreading through her body. Selûne's, or Miyako's, appearance was truly frightening. Her eyes were completely red with no hint of a pupil, iris or cornea visible and her tattoos were large jagged lines on her face. A cold black chakra whirled around her, giving the Amakura a more ominous appearance.

'_She's completely possessed by Miyako…I'm going to have to be extremely careful around her.'_

"You're DEAD!" Miyako screamed as she rushed at the Senju, slashing her katana at her. Moriko evaded the attack and made hand signs, the last sign being that of the Hebi (Snake).

"Wood Style: Giant Forest Jutsu."

Moriko's arm changed into that of a huge tree, complete with bark and everything. She slammed her arm into the ground, the wood going underground and straight for the Amakura. Miyako smirked, sheathing her katana. "Any Wood Style jutsu you use is useless on me!"

The ground at her feet shook and she diverted her attention from the Senju to the ground, surprised as Moriko's tree arm shot up and curled around her, immobilizing her. As she struggled, the edges of the tree sharpened into spear-like edges and pierced her skin, going deep into the flesh. Miyako yelled in pain.

"It's useless to try to move. These spears will only drive deeper into your flesh and cause more damage as they reach your internal organs. It's a shame that this girl will have to die so that you will be vanquished, Miyako. I don't like taking the lives of innocents, but if it keeps you and your despicable lover from coming back, I will gladly do so."

Miyako's red eyes opened slowly to glare daggers at Moriko, her chakra flaring once more.

'_If I can just make the hand signs in this, I'll be good!'_

She slowly managed to squeeze her hands together and make the signs in the constricting wood. _'This is it! Prepare to die!'_

"Fire Style: Fire Wall!"

She sucked in as deep a breath as she could and released it, the flames shooting at Moriko. The Senju couldn't react fast enough because of her arm being underground, so the circle of flame surrounded her and licked at her flesh. Cries of pain reached Miyako's ears as the wood surrounding her loosened its grip and she fell to the ground, her wounds healing instantly.

'_Heh…my chakra is nearly unlimited due to Selûne's chakra stores and our chakras combined. This is handy indeed…this battle will be over soon.'_

The wall of fire around Moriko was slowly burning her to death, but Miyako didn't want the battle to end just yet. She wanted to torture the Senju for what she had said about Madara and herself.

"Release!"

The wall of fire disappeared and Moriko slumped to the ground, the smell of burning flesh and wood strong in the air. Miyako smirked at the woman as she walked up to her, grabbing the woman by the throat and lifting her up as if she weighed nothing. Moriko gasped for air as the Amakura choked her, her hands coming up to scrabble helplessly at her captor's hands.

"Look at you now…first you were implying that I'm weak and now you're the one at our mercy. It's truly sad that this is what the Senju clan has come down to."

Miyako's eyes closed for a moment before opening again slowly, her eyes flashing a slight gold color. "Now you will break under my illusion."

Moriko's eyes widened as she stared deep into the Amakura's eyes, caught in her illusion.

_Moriko was bound tightly against a statue of a dragon in a strange red world, the girl, Selûne, standing before her with red eyes and an evil smile on her face. _

"_In this world," Miyako's voice echoed through the world. "I control everything. Unfortunately for me, I cannot access this on my own so Selûne will be the one to conduct this for me. Enjoy."_

_Moriko stared at the younger Amakura, a feeling of dread washing over her. Selûne tossed her head back and began laughing maniacally, the sound reverberating in the Senju's head. A horde of grotesque spirits appeared around her, their broken limbs reaching out for her. Low pitiful moans escaped them as they grasped onto the bound woman, tearing at her flesh and watching the blood run down her body. Moriko screamed loudly, the sound barely rising over the Amakura's laughter. One of the spirits looked her in the eyes and she froze immediately, her scream cut off. The being leaned closer to her and opened its mouth wide, seemingly sucking in a deep breath. Moriko could only watch with horror as a nearly transparent shape flew from her and toward the spirit. She managed to catch a glimpse of it as it turned to her, a look of fear upon its face. It was her own spirit!_

* * *

Itachi and Kisame watched from afar as Selûne held the blonde woman in her grip, the woman having stopped struggling a long time ago. She dangled there limply, held up only by the Amakura who threw her to the ground where she laid unmoving.

"Bet you anything she used that jutsu on her that she used on nearly all of us that day," Kisame said, grinning at the Uchiha who just gave him an uninterested look.

"I wouldn't doubt it. It would seem that her opponent's mind was weak, but it would not be surprising as her opponent was one who remained in solitude for years. Solitude can weaken a person immensely," Itachi said, turning his eyes back to the spectacle. Selûne was walking toward the woman's body, two kunai gripped firmly in her hands. "It seems to me that she is going to kill her opponent."

"She shows her no mercy," Kisame noted, a shiver running through his body. Selûne could be completely bloodthirsty when she wanted to be and the shark nin wouldn't admit it out loud, but it turned him on immensely.

It was then that Itachi noted the change of chakra around the Amakura. Instead of her usual white chakra, it was an ominous black color and when her head turned slightly, he could see that her eyes were completely red and the tattoos nearly covered most of her cheeks, turning them into a hideous pattern on her face.

'_It looks like Miyako is in control…knowing Selûne, she would make her opponent's death swift so they would not feel pain, but Miyako…there's no knowing what __**she **__would do.'_

* * *

On the other side of the forest across from Itachi and Kisame, Sasuke crouched in the bushes. His eyes widened when he saw who had been causing all the commotion earlier. Selûne stood there in the clearing, hovering over a woman with long blonde hair. An ominous black chakra surrounded her, causing her hair to hover slightly around her.

'_Something's wrong, but I can't interfere yet. I must wait for the perfect opportunity.'_

Despite that, Sasuke's heart ached as he watched the Amakura. She had changed somewhat over the past months, but then again he had too. He had gotten slightly muscular and there was a hard set to his facial features. Compared to her though…she looked like she had filled out some more, but only slightly. He closed his eyes to urge down the growing hardness in his pants, shaking his head. Now was not the time for such thoughts!

* * *

Miyako stood over the fallen woman, her red eyes glowing brightly. "And now…prepare for the worst torture of your life."

She took two kunai in her hands and threw them toward Moriko's hands, the small blades sinking deep into the woman's flesh and pinning her to the ground. The Senju grunted slightly, but otherwise didn't move. Her mind had been completely broken and not only that, but her spirit had been stolen. All that was left was an empty husk of a person. Miyako drove two more kunai into the woman's feet, preventing her from using her legs, but it wouldn't have mattered anyway since the woman was comatose. She straddled the woman's waist and unsheathed her katana, pointing it toward Moriko's chest. A quick flash and a thin red line appeared on the skin of Moriko's chest, a slight trickle of blood running down her body. Keeping her eyes fixated on the Senju's, Miyako carved intricate patterns into her flesh. Moriko lay there motionless the whole time, unable to move or speak. As her katana made the last slice, Miyako stood up and walked around her body, creating a perfect circle with Moriko in the very center. Moriko's arms and legs were spread so that the very tips of her fingers and toes just barely touched the edge of the circle.

"And now for the finishing touch…"

Miyako pressed her hands together and slammed them into the ground, red lines appearing inside the circle as the intricate patterns in Moriko's flesh began to glow. It was then that Moriko was torn from her catatonic state with an ear-splitting scream. Her entire body felt like it was being ripped apart from the inside and burned by the flames of hell itself.

"Even though I may just be a spirit trapped within this girl's mind, I was given this incredible power by Izanamo. You will die slowly and even in death, your spirit will be forever imprisoned in this unending torment!"

Moriko could only scream as every nerve in her body radiated with unbelievable pain. Miyako stood over her, an evil smile on her face as her eyes glowed a blood red. The screams of the Senju satisfied her greatly knowing that the enemy of her beloved Madara was suffering.

'_If only you could see this right now, Madara…"_

Miyako threw her head back and began to laugh insanely, the sound echoing throughout the clearing and sending shivers down the spines of the three shinobi hiding.

* * *

"Something isn't right…" Itachi said as he watched her.

"You're telling me. She looks possessed!" Kisame said. He prepared to run as far away as possible to avoid dealing with ugly spirits again, but before he could make a break for it, Itachi grabbed him by the collar of his cloak and jerked him back.

"We need to break her from this before she falls completely to Miyako," the Uchiha said, a tinge of worry in his voice. Kisame stared at his partner for a moment, noting the slightly worried look on his face. He had never seen Itachi like this before so it was scaring him just a little.

"Fine. Let's go help the little kunoichi."

Itachi and Kisame burst from the bushes and ran toward the Amakura.

"Selûne!"

* * *

"Selûne!"

Miyako turned to see the Uchiha and the shark man running toward her, the evil smile never leaving her face as the two Akatsuki members stopped before her.

"Ah…Itachi and shark boy, so nice to see you again," she said in a low seductive tone. Kisame's eye twitched.

"S-shark boy?" he roared, swinging Samehada at her. The Amakura did a graceful backflip and landed right on Moriko's chest, crushing the woman's lungs. Moriko gasped for breath as Miyako stood on top of her, ignoring her gasps for air.

"Selûne, you can stop torturing her now. You've won this battle and there is no need for further bloodshed," Itachi said, approaching her cautiously. Her smile grew even wider, her eyes taking on a crazed appearance.

"I'll stop when I _**feel **_like it, Uchiha!" she spat, brandishing her katana at him. She slashed at him, but Itachi avoided her attack and appeared behind her, grabbing her arm and twisting it behind her, causing her to drop her sword. She grunted and brought her leg up behind her in a fan kick, catching Itachi in the jaw and causing him to let go of her. She snatched up her katana and brought it around to clash with Itachi's kunai. They struggled to try to overpower the other, but they were caught in a stalemate. Finally Miyako brought her leg up to try to hit him again, but he caught it and threw her over the seal that contained Moriko's body. She flipped and landed on her feet, her head coming up to sight Itachi coming at her. She made hand signs and created four crystal clones, quickly mixing herself up with them knowing that Itachi would not be able to determine which one was the real one. The Uchiha stopped before her analyzing the clones carefully, but that one instant was all she needed. All five Miyakos ran at him with their blades drawn, ready to slice him to pieces. Itachi ducked under the first one, kicked the second away and blocked the third with his kunai, but the fourth one slashed his arm and the fifth, who happened to be the real one, forced him to his knees and settled her blade against his throat.

"Too bad Uchiha. It seems even you cannot keep up with me. It's such a shame that I'm going to have to see such a handsome face like yours dead," Miyako smirked, her eyes shining with malice. Itachi gritted his teeth, but didn't move. One wrong move and she could slit his throat without a second thought. "Now die!"

Her blade moved to slash his throat, but it stopped before she could. Her hand froze, the katana quivering slightly as her whole body shook.

"N-no…! Not now! I've almost taken down this nuisance!" Miyako growled, dropping the katana and stepping back from the Uchiha, gripping her head tightly. She yelled loudly, the black chakra flaring up around her and creating a whirlwind.

'_Her chakra is immense…she's losing control of her power.'_

Miyako screamed as Selûne tried to break through to regain control of her body. After being forced into the back of her mind and sealed there by Miyako so that she could maintain control for a while, Selûne wasn't happy about it at all. Her white chakra mixed in with the whirlwind of black and swirled around the struggling Miyako, creating a yin-yang appearance.

"Selûne…" Itachi's face appeared in her line of sight, his eyes no longer red with the Sharingan, but a beautiful onyx color. He took a step through the whirlwind of chakra and winced as the raw power surged through him, the feeling nearly painful. Her eyes remained blood red as she watched him warily, her eyes twitching with pain as Selûne tried to break through once more. Itachi's hand touched her cheek, his eyes surprisingly gentle for his stern countenance. His hair had come loose from its tie and now blew everywhere, whipping against their faces. "Selûne…" His forehead rested against hers as his lips hovered inches away from her own. "Come back to me…I know you're still in there. Find the strength to break through. Please…"

Her eyes widened slightly. Itachi Uchiha never said please! He was being sincere…

"No matter what happens…I'll always be with you. Don't give up and fall to this cursed woman, I know you're stronger than this." His hand had threaded into her hair and he gripped it tightly. "Come back…"

"Y-you fool…I won't l-let her through. Your pleas w-will do nothing!" Miyako said, struggling to get the words out, but Itachi ignored her. His black eyes stared into hers, boring into her very soul.

"Come back Selûne…I love you koibito."

Miyako's eyes widened as Itachi's lips settled on hers, the gentle pressure making her want to melt into his arms. Unfortunately for her, the control she had over Selûne slipped as the girl slowly regained control of her body. The black chakra receded within her as her eyes melted back into a dark blue and the tattoos faded back to their normal shape. Her arms wrapped around Itachi's neck as his wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer to him.

"I love you…I love you Itachi…" she whispered when she broke the kiss, her hands cupping his cheeks as she stared him in the eyes, tears slipping down her cheeks. Itachi didn't answer her with words, but with a kiss instead. The two lovers stood there for what seemed like forever until Kisame cleared his throat.

"As sweet as this is, we still need to acquire the damn crest…" he said, his cheeks appearing to be a slightly darker shade of blue.

"I already have it," Selûne said, not taking her eyes off of Itachi's face. A low groan sounded from behind the Uchiha and the Amakura looked behind him to see the bloody form of Moriko lying there, lifting her head slightly to look at the girl.

"Y-you…n-need to destroy h-her…" the dying Senju said, stopping for a moment to cough wetly. "I-I w-will show y-you a glimpse of your f-future."

There was a small glint in her eye and Selûne soared into the vision.

_Selûne stood before two little children, a glowing sword having penetrated her chest. She coughed blood and smiled at the children. _

"_I'm so sorry…"_

_The boy and girl looked up at her with sad eyes, tears running down their cheeks. "Mama…?"_

"_I'm sorry…that I won't be able to shower you with love, to be able to live by your side…your father…would be so proud to see you two…I'm so happy to have been your mother…my babies…"_

"_Mama!" _

_Her vision was fading as the sword retreated from her, leaving a wide gaping wound in her chest. She half expected to hit the ground, but instead fell into strong warm arms._

"_Uncle!"_

"_Sasuke…"_

"_Selûne…"_

_The dying woman brought her hand up to his cheek, her hands becoming painted with his blood. "Do you remember Sasuke…when we confessed to each other?"_

"_How could I forget…? Back then I loved you and was ready to abandon my revenge for you." _

_Selûne smiled, closing her eyes. "And now I see you…the Sasuke I loved…"_

"_Selûne…you're the first woman I ever cared about and loved, but…I couldn't help you…" A tear fell from Sasuke's cheek and landed on Selûne's, the dying Amakura's eyes slowly opening to look up at him._

"_Sasuke…it's been a while since I've seen you like this," she whispered._

_Sasuke's head lowered even more, his tears now flowing freely down his cheeks. "Selûne…I couldn't save you!" His tormented soul finally let loose all the emotions he felt for her, the force of it nearly overwhelming._

"_You came for me…" she said, her voice slow. He gasped and looked at her, his eyes watery. She looked into his eyes and smiled. "That's enough for me."_

_Sasuke couldn't stop himself. "Selûne…"_

_He kissed her._

Selûne was brought back to the real world as she stared into Moriko's eyes. The dying Senju smiled at her. "Th-this is your fate. Only o-one can s-save you…s-someone you love m-must give their life f-for you…"

Moriko slumped to the ground dead. Selûne stood there in Itachi's arms, her eyes beginning to water.

'_Mama…? Sasuke…? An uncle…? Then Itachi and I…" _She looked up into Itachi's black eyes, noting the concern in them. She smiled. _'We will have children together…' _Itachi hugged her tightly to him and she relaxed against the warmth of his body.

* * *

Sasuke sat there watching his brother hug the woman he loved, jealousy spreading through him.

"_I know you hate it Sasuke, but sometimes these things have to be dealt with."_ Daisuke's voice echoed in his mind. Sasuke turned away from the scene scoffing.

"I'll get what I want in the end sometime. I'm going back."

"_Fine by me."_

Sasuke disappeared into the forest, not noticing that Selûne's eyes watched him from where she was with Itachi, her narrowed eyes glowing golden.

* * *

_**Ending Theme: Wind by Akeboshi (Naruto Ending #1)**_


	27. Whatever It Takes

**_I'm going to pull a Hidan here and just give my thoughts. I've been busy with a lot of things and I haven't had time to fucking write! SUE ME! Plus I was getting a bit of the damn writer's block, but I pulled through. The next few chapters should come up quicker than this one, but WE SHALL SEE!_**

**_ShadowBloodNinja- Good survival skills I see! It didn't hit that hard out here, but it still kept me from being able to go to work, but I ain't even mad. Oh well :P I think the chapters are gonna get better soon. I feel like I'm just tiptoeing around._**

**_REVIEW OR HIDAN WILL SACRIFICE YOU TO JASHIN! That will be all. ONWARD!_**

**_And yes, I believe that Orochimaru is a pedophile. I mean COME ON! I watched Naruto Shippuden Episode 112 where Sasuke comes to kill him and when Sasuke took off his shirt, Orochimaru was breathing heavily like a fucking pedophile! HE WAS EVEN DROOLING! THIS IS PROOF ENOUGH! DOWN WITH THE PEDOPHILIC SNAKE!_**

**_Okay I'm done..._**

**_Opening Theme: No Boy No Cry by Stance Punks_**

* * *

It was nighttime at the small cabin just outside the Sound village and Selûne sat outside enjoying the warm summer air. It felt good to be able to relax once in a while and surprisingly, even Itachi and Kisame had agreed. The two Akatsuki members in question were snoozing away in their beds inside, completely knocked out. She could hear Kisame's loud snores through the walls of the structure and she couldn't help but laugh. She peeked through the window to see Kisame hugging his pillow while Itachi was facing the window, his arm curled under his pillow as he slept. Selûne smiled at his peaceful face, completely free of any stress or hardness that was apparent in his features when he was awake.

'_Now that they're asleep and out of my hair, I can take a walk and try to think about things.'_

She got up from the small bench just outside the door and began walking on the dirt path toward the Sound village, oblivious to the shadowy figure following behind her.

* * *

She hasn't noticed me yet, but as she disappeared into the darkness, I looked through the window of the small cabin she had been sitting in front of. My teeth gritted together when I saw _**him **_in there sleeping as well as some mutated fish man. I fought back the urge to walk in there and slit his throat because there was one thing I wanted to do first and that was to crush him mentally before I killed him.

'_And in order to do that…' _I turned back to where she had disappeared to. _'I need to follow her and capture her.' _I ran into the darkness of the forest, activating my Sharingan so that I could see her chakra signature. She was only thirty feet ahead of me, so catching up wasn't a problem. The moonlight reflected off of her brown hair as it fluttered lightly in the warm summer breeze, giving her an ethereal look. I felt so happy seeing her again after so many months even though it was probably my fault for not coming to see her or perhaps after she had told me to leave, I was afraid to come back when she had such a blank expression on her face. Couldn't she see how much I loved her anymore? Had she completely thrown away everything that we had had together?

I broke from my thoughts when she suddenly stopped, her heels making a soft thud on the ground. She stood there for a moment before she turned her head slightly, her blue eyes glowing gold.

"I know you're there. Come out now and explain yourself!" she said. It sounded like she was annoyed, maybe she knew I had been following her? I gulped inwardly and stepped into the moonlight.

* * *

Selûne had her hand on her weapons pouch, ready to throw a kunai at the person who was following her, but she stopped when she saw who it was.

"Sasuke…? What're you doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" he said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Orochimaru's base is in the Sound village so of course I'm going to be nearby. I could ask you the same thing and why are you traveling with _**him**_ of all people?"

"He's helping me to gather three clan crests in order to unlock a particularly powerful weapon of my clan. If he hadn't been here, there's a chance I may have lost myself completely to Miyako after retrieving the last crest."

"I know…I saw the whole thing," Sasuke said bitterly, his eyes hardening. Selûne brought a hand to the necklace around her neck, gripping the pendant tightly in her hand. His eyes widened slightly when he recognized the cherry blossom pendant he had given her. It hung in conjunction with the silver ring that Itachi had given her and the fact that it was anywhere near that bastard's gift made Sasuke fume.

"Sasuke…I'm so sorry for this, but you need to leave…"

"No. I'm not letting you go Selûne, not after I've just found you again."

"Sasuke…please I'm begging you, it's not safe for you here," she pleaded, sensing a familiar chakra signature getting closer and closer to them. Sasuke walked toward her until he was standing a few inches from her, close enough that he could reach out and take her into his arms.

"I'm not going anywhere."

"Sasuke…_please!"_

"What do you think you're doing, my foolish little brother?" A cool voice drawled as another figure stepped out of the shadows. Sasuke immediately placed his hand on his katana, facing his older brother with an angry expression on his face.

"Stay out of this, you bastard. This is between Selûne and I," Sasuke growled as he shielded the Amakura from the elder Uchiha. Selûne stood there helplessly, watching the two brothers face off.

"It seems that she wants you to leave though, Sasuke," Itachi said, ever the emotionless person he was. "It would have been wise to heed her words because now you have placed yourself in my clutches and I will not show you mercy like I did last time we fought."

"You call that _mercy_!?" Sasuke yelled, his hand crackling with his Chidori. "You broke my wrist and beat me to within an inch from death, not to mention you tortured me by showing me our parents' death over and over again!"

He rushed at Itachi, bringing the Chidori forth with the intention of running him through with it. Itachi made to stop him, but Selûne materialized before him, grabbing Sasuke's arm and halting the Chidori. She threw the younger Uchiha several feet until his back hit a large tree, a sickening crack reaching her ears. Sasuke slumped against the tree, a small trickle of blood running down the corner of his mouth.

"I told you to leave Sasuke…I didn't want to do this, but you left me no choice. I won't let you hurt Itachi," she said, brandishing a kunai at him. Itachi looked down at the top of her head, his eyes showing slight astonishment.

"N-now you've turned against me…Selûne," Sasuke said as he managed to get to his feet. "I thought you cared for me…?"

Selûne's eye twitched as she fought back a wave of guilt and sadness. "I do, Sasuke. However…"

A light breeze blew through the trees, ruffling her hair slightly and blowing her long bangs into her face momentarily obscuring her view of Sasuke. She brought a hand up to push her hair back in place, Sasuke watching her every move.

"For your own safety, I do not want you to die. I'm only trying to protect you and if you keep being reckless, you will die."

"If you stay with him, YOU will die, Selûne! If you come with me, I'll make sure that you're safe!" Sasuke yelled, his eyes pleading with her. The Amakura turned her head from him, looking up into Itachi's stoic features.

"I'm sorry Sasuke…it would have never worked between us," she said, her voice low. The younger Uchiha took a step back, his heart effectively shattered. His hand reached out to her, but then slowly curled into a fist. He could feel his heart beginning to slowly turn to ice, the anger building up within him.

"Then die with him!" he yelled, making hand signs. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

A torrent of flame came rushing toward the two, but Selûne made hand signs and thrust her hands out in front of her. "Spirit Style: Mirror Reflection!"

A female spirit appeared holding a large mirror, taking the brunt of the fire attack. Sasuke's eyes widened as the flame was sucked into the mirror, the fire swirling in the reflective surface. The female spirit cackled shrilly as the fire shot from the mirror right back to Sasuke, who managed to evade it by jumping into the air. He was met by Selûne in mid-air as she brought her leg around, slamming it into his neck and launching him down the cliff. Sasuke disappeared into the darkness of the trees below, a loud BOOM echoing through the forest. She waited for a few minutes and when Sasuke didn't appear from the trees, she relaxed.

Itachi walked up behind her and looked down the cliff with her, his Sharingan scanning the wide expanse of forest. He couldn't detect Sasuke's chakra anywhere, which led him to believe that his foolish little brother had used a shadow clone.

'_He's gotten smart. If he had come here for real, he wouldn't have been so easy to take down, but then again…'_

The Uchiha looked over at his female companion, noticing the faraway look in her eyes.

'_She's not happy about fighting him and what he said…' _Itachi looked back down at the forest. _'I may have to take another step to ensure that she remains mine.'_

A heavy sigh from the girl made him look at her again. "Let's go back," she said, turning away from the edge and walking on the path back to the cabin. Itachi took a step toward her and stopped, looking back over the vast landscape. The moonlight shone over the land, giving it a serene appearance. He stood there for what seemed like hours until he heard her soft voice again. "Are you coming, Itachi?"

He took a step back and turned away from the scenery, following the young woman back to their dwelling. He walked beside her for a few minutes before his hand slowly reached out and took her hand in his, intertwining their fingers together. Her hand was slack for a moment before it tightened on his. He looked down at her to see her eyes on him, a small smile on her face. He couldn't help but smile back.

* * *

Sasuke watched Itachi and Selûne from Orochimaru's scrying crystal, his anger growing with every passing moment. The Sannin smirked at seeing the black expression on the Uchiha's face, looking down at the crystal to see Itachi had intertwined his fingers with Selûne's and they were walking hand in hand. If it was possible for Sasuke to get any angrier, it just happened as his whole body became covered in anime flames.

"Now now Sasuke, it wouldn't do to get yourself all upset over such an insignificant little girl. I thought you wanted to take your revenge on Itachi?"

"I do," Sasuke managed to say, his teeth grinding so hard that it was a miracle they hadn't shattered. "But before I do kill him, I want to torture him emotionally. I want him to suffer as much as I did when he murdered our entire clan and left me alive to forever be reminded of my clan's demise."

"And how exactly do you plan to do that, my dear Sasuke?" the pedophilic snake said, his long tongue slithering out to lick his lips. Sasuke wrinkled his nose in disgust before he pointed to Selûne's image in the crystal.

"By taking her away from him. It's obvious that Itachi has feelings for her and if I were to come in and steal her away, it would crush him. My brother has always been passionate about protecting the things most precious to him and I have no doubt that she is precious to him. I just have to lure her away from him long enough to kidnap her without him being able to follow my path."

"Well in order for that to work, you're going to need my help. I don't think she'll come with you willingly, dear boy," Orochimaru said as he smirked at the Uchiha. Sasuke stared down at the image of the two lovers before allowing the side of his mouth to turn up in an evil grin.

"I'll do whatever it takes."

* * *

Itachi sat on the roof of the small cabin, staring up at the moon. He could hear Kisame's loud snores through the structure and he smirked inwardly. His partner could be such a dunce. His female companion had gone inside to sleep, but he suspected that she was still awake, staring up at the ceiling. Ever since their encounter with Sasuke, she had been unnaturally quiet, only giving a slight nod to Itachi when he had bid her good night. He worried about her sometimes. Even though they had met up only a week ago, he could see that she was falling more and more to Miyako's influence. The spirit would take over Selûne's body during battle more often now and if he hadn't managed to break her out of the possession earlier that day…he would probably be dead right now. The strain from Miyako was also becoming apparent; the once cheerful and loving girl he had come to know was now more withdrawn and serious. He couldn't wait until this mission was over so that he could whisk her away somewhere where she could relax and forget about the world and her terrible fate. Itachi looked down at the wide expanse of forest, his mind drifting away to childhood memories.

_Itachi hid behind a tree while waiting for Sasuke to finish counting. They had been playing hide and seek for about twenty minutes now and Itachi was almost ready to call it quits. He could hear Sasuke running around looking for him, but he came nowhere near his hiding spot. Itachi shook his head, chuckling softly._

"_Silly little brother."_

"_Found you big brother!"_

_Itachi's eyes snapped open, seeing Sasuke's grinning face in front of him. The little kid thought he had won._

"_Good job Sasuke, but…" He brought his hands up in a sign. "Too bad."_

_He poofed out of sight and Sasuke stomped his foot. "That's not fair!"_

_The real Itachi sat in a tree, watching his little brother look around some more. He laughed quietly when Sasuke stomped his feet and flopped down onto the ground, crossing his arms over his chest and pouting. He sat there for a few moments just observing Sasuke when he heard the giggling of girls. Sasuke must have heard it too because he turned his head and a big smile broke out over his face. _

"_Se-chan!" The younger Uchiha ran into the arms of the younger Amakura, laughing happily. Itachi watched as Mayu came up behind her little sister, placing her hands on her shoulders. "Mayu-san!" Sasuke jumped into the arms of the elder Amakura, hugging his small arms around her neck. The seventeen year old girl smiled and hugged the Uchiha back. _

"_If you're here Sasuke, then Itachi must be somewhere around as well," she said, her eyes scanning the trees. The elder Uchiha watched as her eyes flashed a golden color before they settled on the tree that he hid in. "Hey Uchiha, come out!"_

_Itachi grinned and dropped to the ground gracefully in front of them. "Big brother!" Sasuke tackled him and almost knocked him over, hugging him tightly. Itachi smiled down at his younger brother and looked up at the Amakura siblings. Selûne was about his age, but only a few months younger while Mayu was a full seven years older. He respected them greatly because they were gifted shinobi. Mayu had become a jonin at age ten and was granted the opportunity to join the ANBU ranks at eleven, but she turned it down because she didn't want to be away from her little sister and brother. Her little sister Selûne was already a chunin at age 10, but joined the medical corps. That being said, the girl in question was smiling at him, her eyes closing in a very cute way. _

"_What brings you two out here?" he asked, holding Sasuke in a firm grip to keep him from getting out of his grasp._

"_Well Selûne wanted to get some training in today, so we were just on our way there when we heard Sasuke's little tantrum," Mayu said, laughing at Sasuke's pouting face. "Well we'd better get going. Let's go imoto."_

_Selûne giggled as she took Mayu's hand and the two Amakuras walked out of sight._

* * *

_Itachi sat on the top of his house staring up at the moon. It was another restless night where he just couldn't sleep, the memory of the Nine-Tails attack on the village replaying in his mind. It hurt to think of all the people that had died because of that monstrous beast and Itachi knew that he would never be the same again after that night. He had tried everything he could to try to forget, but it always came back to haunt him. He pressed a hand to his eyes, a loud groan sounding in his throat. _

_When he took his hand away from his eyes, they fell on a figure standing in the middle of the lake nearby. He knew it had to be female from the long hair, but he couldn't tell who it was. He decided to get closer to see who it was. Itachi leaped from the roof of his house and landed in the trees surrounding the lake, pushing the branches aside to get a closer look at the female. She held a long object in her hand that looked suspiciously like a staff with a circular end and in the middle of the circle was a strange design that looked like three crescent moons brought together in the middle, the ends facing outward. He still couldn't make out who it was, but he could hear her saying something…or singing._

"_Watashi wa koko yo koko ni iru no_

_Atsui kumo ga sugu soko made kiteru wa_

_Nemutte wa dame nemutte wa dame yo_

_Utsuro na me ga mabataki wo hajimeru yume wo miru ni wa mada hayai wa…_

_Watashi wa koko yo koko ni iru no_

_Ichiwa no tori ga ko wo egaite yuku wa_

_Itte wa dame yo itte wa dame yo_

_Rakuen nante doko ni mo nai wa saigo wa mabuta wo tojiru toki…_

_Gomen nante ayamaru watashi wo yurushite. . .shiawase ni ochiteyuku"_

_As she sang, she danced on the surface of the lake swinging the staff around her and over her head, causing the water to swirl up around her. Itachi watched with wonder in his eyes. He had never seen such a beautiful display before. The urge to go down and talk to her was overwhelming, but he stopped himself. He just didn't want to ruin the moment. The Uchiha leaned forward to get a better look, but his hand missed the branch and he went plummeting forward, his face hitting the ground with a resounding bang. The girl stopped her dance and turned to him, a look of surprise on her features._

"_Wait!" Itachi yelled, but she had already disappeared. _

Itachi's eyes opened to look back up into the starry sky. He had always wondered who the girl that danced on the lake was, but he couldn't return to Konoha so there probably wasn't a chance that he could ever find out now.

"Can't you sleep?"

Itachi turned to see Selûne behind him, dressed in a long white shirt and black shorts that looked cute on her. She walked up beside him and sat down, hugging her knees against her chest. "It seems to be a restless night for both of us," he said softly, turning his gaze back to the moon.

"So it would seem…" she said, her voice soft. "Nights like these make me think of my family."

"How so?" Itachi asked, his curiosity piqued.

"My father always told me that when we die…if we were good people in life, we become stars in the sky, watching over our loved ones. My grandmother and grandfather are up there as well as my mother, father and brother, watching over me…nights like these always make me happy because I feel like I can look up there and talk with my family. I imagine they talk to me too, giving me advice and telling me to live a good life. I'll never forget them…"

"Hmm…I've never thought of it that way before," he said, looking up at the thousands of stars. There was a long silence between them until he heard her singing softly.

"_Gomen nante ayamaru watashi wo yurushite. . .shiawase ni ochiteyuku…"_

He stiffened when he heard those words. It was the same exact words that the girl on the lake said! He wouldn't have to risk his neck to go to Konoha now because the girl he had seen that night was sitting right next to him! Fate was truly kind to him.

"I always beg my family forgiveness for what has happened to them. I feel like it was my fault that they died. Especially Nobutoshi…" she trailed off. Itachi looked at her, seeing the depressed look on her face. "I know it's in the past, but I just can't let go of it no matter what."

"There is no weakness in sorrow," he said, wrapping his arm around her waist.

"Only in depression," she said, leaning into him.

"You can never think too much of the departed."

"Do you think of your family, Itachi?" she asked, lifting her head to look up at him.

"Sometimes, but I try not to let it affect me too much. I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss them because I do, but I did what I did and I can't turn back the hands of time," he said, keeping his eyes on the moon. He could almost see the smiling faces of his parents in the moon's surface.

"Even those who are gone are with us as we go on," Selûne said, burying her face into his black cloak. "It's up to us to carry on their legacies."

Itachi said nothing as he remembered something that his father had told him.

"_Itachi, it's time that we let you in on something. Takao and Maya Amakura have agreed to an arranged marriage between you and their daughter Selûne. It's a great opportunity for the two clans to become allies as the Amakuras and the Uchihas are two of the most powerful clans in the village. Selûne is a very skilled shinobi in her own right and we believe that a match between you two is best. Make us proud son and bring the two clans together."_

He looked down at the girl in his arms, smiling slightly. Selûne hadn't been informed of the arranged marriage, but then again she had left before they could have a chance to tell her. He smirked to himself. It didn't matter if Sasuke tried to take her away from him or not. She was his no matter what.

"Itachi?" Her soft voice broke him from his thoughts. She was looking at him with questioning eyes, her lips pursed slightly. He leaned down and kissed her, feeling her relax against his body.

"I think we should rest up for now. We have to find the last crest," he said, picking her up in his arms and jumping to the ground.

"Oh…yeah I suppose…" she said, her tone of voice telling him that she was disappointed. He chuckled and opened the door, ignoring the loud snores coming from Kisame and laying her on the bed before laying down next to her.

"Itachi?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you." He smiled at her and kissed her again, holding her gently against his body.

"I love you as well, Selûne."

* * *

**_I love the song that Selûne sings! If anyone can guess it, kudos!_**

**_Ending Theme: Wind by Akeboshi_**


	28. Otohime, the Guardian Spirit

_**Sorry this is short, but I've been busy once more and distracted even more so. Next chapter will be more relaxed and feature Konan once more. AND...it will be humorous. **_

_**ShadowBloodNinja- Only three words. DESTROY THAT HOTEL! Mwahahahaha!  
**_

_**Onward with the story.**_

_**Opening Theme: No Boy, No Cry by Stance Punks  
**_

* * *

Selûne lay awake in her room at the Akatsuki hideout, contemplating where to find the Tsuchihara crest. They had arrived at the hideout this afternoon after traveling for a day and the entire Akatsuki was happy to have her back. Deidara had presented her with a small clay figurine of herself, so masterfully crafted down to the finest detail. Zetsu had tried to give her a half-eaten human leg, which Selûne politely refused even though she had tried her hardest not to vomit. Hidan had simply grunted and said "welcome back, bitch" before going to his chambers to conduct his Jashin ritual. Kakuzu didn't even acknowledge her existence while Sasori continued his work on his puppets. Tobi had nearly crushed the life out of her and then gave her a doll that looked almost like Miyako. Pain had merely nodded to her and went back to his office. Konan was in Amegakure, so she couldn't see her. Itachi and Kisame had gone to their rooms immediately without saying a word, leaving the Amakura alone. Now she was laying on her bed staring up at the ceiling, enjoying the silence. Then…

"HIDAN! WHAT THE FUCK!? YOU GOT BLOOD ALL OVER THE DAMN COUCH!"

"FUCK YOU KAKUZU! JASHIN'S SACRED RITUAL MUST NOT BE IGNORED!"

"SHUT UP OR I KILL YOU ALL!" Oh great…Kisame was out and raging.

"ALL OF YOU MUST HAVE A DEATH WISH!" Now Pain was involved…

"DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH IT'LL COST TO CLEAN IT!?"

"KISS MY ASS, MOTHERFUCKER!"

"RRRRAAAGHHH!"

The sounds of fighting echoed through the hideout and Selûne face palmed. _'Every damn time! Why can't they all just shut up and get along?' _An explosion shook the walls and Selûne knew that Deidara had set off one of his bombs.

"DEIDARA!" Looked like it…Deidara's screams echoed through the hideout and the sound of running feet passed by her room. She sighed heavily and buried her head in her pillow, trying to muffle the sounds of yelling and screaming. The sound of her door being thrown open and slammed made her jerk her head out from its hiding place to see Deidara with his back against the door, sweating and panting heavily. He pressed a finger to his lips.

"Be quiet, I'm trying to hide from them un," he whispered, his one light blue eye (she had finally deduced it as light blue) pleading with her to keep quiet. She stared at him as he ran from the door and hid himself in her closet, closing the door behind him. An anime sweatdrop appeared on her head. Just then the door to her room was thrown open and Hidan, Kakuzu, Pain and Kisame stood there with matching expressions of anger on their faces. Their rage paled in comparison to hers as she flew off the bed and got in their faces, her face bright red.

"I'M TRYING TO SLEEP HERE AND YOU ARE ALL MAKING SO MUCH NOISE! I SWEAR IF YOU DON'T STOP, I WILL PERSONALLY MAKE SURE THAT YOUR PUNISHMENTS ARE A THOUSAND TIMES WORSE THAN WHAT YOU HAVE PLANNED FOR DEIDARA!"

The four men shrunk against the opposite wall, shaking in their cloaks as the Amakura loomed over them, her eyes shooting anime flames at them. Finally Hidan sucked up enough courage and began yelling at her. "Bitch I will take whatever punishment you can dish out cause I can't die! Hahahaha-" His evil laugh was cut off when Selûne's katana cut his head off. "Hey! Put my head back on, you stupid bitch!" She ignored him as she picked his head up and calmly walked to Tobi's room, ignoring Hidan's curses and sworn oaths to sacrifice her to Jashin when he got his head back. She threw open the door to Tobi's room, walking past the confused masked man who sat on his bed playing with a blonde doll and into the bathroom. She opened the lid to the toilet and held the Jashinist's head over it, a grin on her face.

"If you even think about putting my head into that fucking retard's toilet, I am going to kill you slowly and painfully!" Hidan shouted although his eyes showed a bit of trepidation. She moved his head away from the toilet bowl slightly, her grin disappearing and Hidan sighed softly thinking that he was in the clear. Then it reappeared almost instantly as she dropped his head in the toilet, the water splashing onto the lid and seat. "YOU FUCKING BITCH! YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!"

Selûne merely smiled and flushed the toilet, causing Hidan's head to swirl around and around until it finally settled, his eyes white with shock. "I FUCKING HATE YOU! I'M GOING TO-wait what is this? Oh Jashin, please don't tell me this is…TOBI YOU SICK FUCK! CLEAN YOUR TOILET FOR FUCK'S SAKE!" Hidan had noticed a brown streak going across the bowl of the toilet and unfortunately for him, it had gotten on his face and smeared all over his nose so all he could smell was Tobi's ass. Selûne went back through Tobi's room, ignoring the masked man and walked back to her room where the three men still stood, expressions of fear on their faces.

"Run," she said, giving them an evil look. No sooner had she said that, clouds of dust appeared where the men had been. She walked back into her room where Deidara peeked out at her from the closet. "You can come out now. I don't think they'll do anything to you now." The blonde sagged with relief and ran out of the room to his own chambers, the door slamming behind him. The girl sighed before closing her door again and turning to walk back to the bed, but she stopped when she saw the creature perched on her bedpost. A large black crow stared at her with one blood red eye and one beady black eye, the red eye giving away whose it was.

"I suppose Itachi sent you, _chisana ichi_," she said as she sat on the bed and ran her finger down the bird's breast. "Did he send you to spy on me?" The crow nudged her with its beak and flapped its wings, flying onto her shoulder. Its red eye fixated on her, penetrating into her mind, _reading her thoughts._ Selûne could almost hear someone speaking to her in her thoughts, telling her to listen to their voice. She concentrated hard on the speaker and soon their words became clear in her mind.

'_Search inside yourself for the crest for it is being guarded by a guardian spirit of yours. Only through knowing yourself can you be able to acquire the crest.'_

Selûne sat there staring at the crow, trying to make sense of the words. It hit her then, her eyes widening. "You mean…I must _confront _myself?" The bird cawed, pecking her in the side of the head gently. "I see…I know what I have to do then." There was an insistent tugging in the back of her mind and she knew she had to succumb to it, so she laid back against the pillows as the crow flew back to the bedpost, watching the Amakura as she settled herself into a comfortable position. She intertwined her fingers just underneath her breasts and took a deep breath, closing her eyes and allowing herself to fall into her subconscious, the crow watching her every movement. Little did she know that what the crow saw, Itachi could see and at that moment Itachi was sitting on his bed with his eyes closed, seeing through the bird's eyes. He watched as Selûne lay back against the bed and closed her eyes, going into her trance. Now it was almost guaranteed that she would have the Tsuchihara crest when she returned.

_Selûne sat up in the garden that she had created in her mind, looking around and seeing nothing. _

"_If it was calling me, then why is there no one here?" she said out loud to herself._

"_It was I who was calling you," a female voice said. Selûne turned her head to see a woman walk out from the shadows of the trees, dressed in a pure white kimono. Her inky black hair reached the small of her back in elegant waves, but it was her eyes that drew Selûne in. Her eyes were a soft golden color with blue mixed in…and those eyes were smiling at her. "Do you know who I am, little one?" Selûne shook her head and the woman laughed, a light tinkling sound that echoed throughout the garden. "I expected as much. Miyako probably didn't tell you much about me, but my name is Otohime."_

_Selûne gasped, taking a step back from the woman. "Then…you're Miyako's sister! She mentioned you briefly, but not much…how is it that you are here in my subconscious?" Otohime smiled gently at the Amakura. _

"_Because little one, I am your guardian spirit. When I died, my spirit lingered and wandered the land until you were born. You know the prophecy set forth by the priestess Tamiko: that the founder of the Amakura clan will return to wreak her vengeance on the village that wronged her, but only through the deaths of the two sisters of the clan can she return. However…if they are saved from death, the sisters will come back and stop Miyako's plans by using the weapon of the founder herself to cut her down. It was surprising that Miyako did what she did when your family was killed, but it didn't change anyth-"_

"_What do you mean what she did when my family was killed? What did Miyako have to do with the deaths of my family?" Selûne asked, her heart beginning to beat fast. Otohime hesitated for a moment before sighing._

"_Your family was killed by your sister, but it…wasn't your sister who killed them. Miyako possessed your sister and made her kill your family. Your sister wouldn't have been able to take on your father and mother alone, so Miyako took control and killed them immediately. I assume she hasn't told you this?"_

"_No…no she hasn't," Selûne said, her fist clenching so hard that her nails broke the skin. "So I was blaming my sister the whole time when it was really Miyako…? But why would Mayu be so hostile toward me then?"_

"_She acted that way to keep you safe. Miyako threatened to kill you if Mayu did not submit to her wishes and Mayu, not wanting you to be harmed, became cold toward you. Mayu managed to create a mental barrier against her so that Miyako could not sense her feelings…that way she could pretend to want to kill you and Miyako wouldn't know." Otohime walked toward the Amakura until she stood before her, her golden eyes smiling down at her. Selûne bowed her head, looking down at the ground. _

"_But can't Miyako hear what we're saying now? I haven't created such a barrier against her, so she may be able to hear what we're saying…" Selûne said._

"_No…I have sealed this part of your mind off from her so that she cannot hear us. Being your guardian spirit, I can help you to fight against her and that includes telling you things about her or anyone else for that matter."_

"_What about the Tsuchihara crest? Where is it?" Selûne asked, looking up at the woman. Otohime laid a hand on the girl's shoulder, squeezing it gently._

"_In order to acquire the crest, you must first understand yourself. You've gone through so much in such a short amount of time, so it is only natural that you have changed. The loss of your family, the deaths of the second family that took you in, the loss of a loved one…it changes people. Having to deal with the loss of your family forced you to grow up faster than need be for someone of your age back then. I was with you through it all…even when my sister took possession of you, I was there to make sure that you did not lose yourself to her."_

"_Wait…so if both you and Miyako are in my body…then how do I know who the real me is? With three spirits in my body, it is hard to distinguish who is who," Selûne said, beginning to bite her nail. _

"_It is not hard to figure out. You've known who you were the entire time," Otohime said as she waved her hand and a five year old Selûne appeared in the garden holding a huge bouquet of flowers and smiling widely, a few of her teeth missing. _

"_I'm going to be a ninja someday, a great ninja that everyone will acknowledge and one day, I'll protect the Leaf Village to my last breath!"_

_The little girl disappeared and in her place was a ten year old Selûne holding a kunai knife and smiling. "All I want is to make people happy. I want to help the people and the village and if I have to die in order for that to happen, so be it."_

_She was replaced by a thirteen year old Selûne, holding a katana and instead of a smile, silent tears were trickling down her cheeks. "Everyone's gone…I wasn't there to protect them…I would give my life just to bring them back."_

_Otohime pushed Selûne toward her younger self, but Selûne stood there watching the younger version of herself cry. This is what she couldn't come to terms with…she had locked the despair within her and now here it was. She needed to accept it. Selûne walked up to the younger girl, who looked up at her with heartbreaking eyes and smiled gently at her. "I couldn't find the strength to confront such despair and so I locked you away deep inside my heart." She put her arms around the younger girl, holding her gently against her body. "Selûne, give to me your suffering and grief, and in return I will give everything I have to you." The younger Selûne sobbed harder as she threw her arms around the elder Selûne, crying into her shoulder. "Let's walk to the future together."_

_A bright light surrounded the two and Otohime smiled, fading away into the light. "You have confronted yourself little one and in doing so, you receive the crest. Make sure Miyako does not succeed in her plans. I will be seeing you soon enough."_

_Selûne opened her eyes to find herself still in the garden except that it was empty and Otohime was nowhere to be seen. A warm sensation came over her and she felt her neck being surrounded by a pair of arms. _

"_I love you my little pandakuma," a female voice whispered in her ear. Selûne smiled and brought her hand up to her throat where she felt a nearly insubstantial arm there. "I'm so proud of you…and thank you for letting me be your mother."_

"_I love you too…mother," she whispered as the feeling faded away, her eyes burning with tears. _

Selûne opened her eyes in the real world seeing the black crow still perched there, watching her with its mismatched eyes. She sat up and made to bring her hand to her head, but her hand was clenching tightly around something. She looked down to see the Tsuchihara crest resting there, the green jewels winking at her in the dim candlelight.

"Well I'll be…I can't believe I have all three now. I guess I'll have to go back and get the halberd now," she said to the crow, stroking its sleek black breast. "First thing's first, I'm going to rest a few days before I go out again." She stashed the crest into her pack along with the other two crests and flopped back down on the bed, getting ready to close her eyes. Until…

"WHAT THE FUCK!?"

Oh damn it…

"WHO THE FUCK STOLE MY SCYTHE!? WHOEVER DID IT IS GETTING SACRIFICED TO JASHIN!"

"SHUT UP HIDAN!"

"FUCK YOU KAKUZU, I BET IT WAS YOU! FUCKING HEATHEN BASTARD ALWAYS BLASPHEMING JASHIN!"

"SHUT UP UN!"

"FUCK YOU DEIDARA! YOU'RE LUCKY THE BITCH SAVED YOUR ASS OTHERWISE I WOULD HAVE CUT YOU TO PIECES!"

"SAY ONE MORE WORD AND I WILL CUT YOU TO RIBBONS!" Kisame…please don't…

"WHY THE HELL DID I HIRE YOU IDIOTS!?" Now Pain was yelling…that's something Selûne didn't see everyday because she was under the impression that Leader was a calm collected man.

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU HIDAN!" Kakuzu was angry.

"BRING IT BITCH! MIGHT AS WELL TELL YOU THAT I USED YOUR MONEY AS TOILET PAPER EARLIER!"

"WHAT!?"

"FUCKING IDIOT!"

Selûne had had enough. She shot up from her bed, threw open the door and screamed out into the hallway.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP BEFORE I CASTRATE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU!"

"SHUT IT BITCH! YOU COULDN'T IF YOU TRIED!"

An anime vein appeared on Selûne's forehead as she stormed out of her room with her katana, appearing in the living room doorway with an evil smile on her face. "Hello boys, it's surgery time!"

Every single male in the room screamed like a girl and ran out of the room with the Amakura hot on their heels. They ran into the boulder that served as the door to the hideout and for some reason they completely forgot that they had to unseal it in order to get out. Instead they pounded their fists and heads against it screaming for it to open, but Selûne appeared behind them, slapping the flat of her blade against her palm. "It's the end of the line, boys!"

All five males cowered against the boulder and began wailing for their mommies as the Amakura closed in on them, an evil smile on her face.

'_This will never get old.'_

* * *

_**Closing Theme: Wind by Akeboshi**  
_


	29. Selûne's Day of Revenge

_**Still taking a while to update...I apologize for any inconvenience, but I had to dig deep to find something remotely humorous in my mind (which isn't much)...**_

_**ShadowBloodNinja- Just one question...why was there a guy with a knife at the reception?  
**_

_**Yay for Cahppy and Yuki for favoriting my story! I hope you enjoy more chapters to come and hopefully more laughs at the goofiness of the Akatsuki. This is just a filler chapter, so the story will advance in the next chapter or two. Depends on what my mind cooks up. ONWARD!  
**_

_**For my daily rant, I will say this. Why did Kishimoto-sama kill off Itachi!? NOOOOOOOO! Never ever EVER kill off the hottest character in the anime! That is my opinion, but my opinion is not seen or heeded...T_T waaaaaaaaaaaaah!  
**_

_**Okay, I'm done. ONWARD!  
**_

_**Opening Theme: No Boy, No Cry by Stance Punks**_

* * *

CRASH! BANG! BOOM!

The sounds echoing throughout the Akatsuki hideout shook the walls as every male member of Akatsuki minus the leader, Itachi and Zetsu ran to hide from the murderous Amakura. After Hidan had decided to be a dumbass and run his mouth off about Selûne's butt being a little bigger than normal, the girl had nearly choked him to death until Tobi made a comment about her being heavy. The rest had joined in and the Amakura had exploded, her murderous fury radiating off her in waves. It was then that the males looked at the calendar and realized what was causing her to be more temperamental than usual.

It was that wonderful time of the month for her as a female when she would be pissed off at everything that moves! She would sit around and scarf down buckets of ice cream while the men watched with wide eyes wondering how she could eat so much and not get fat. If she only ate two buckets, it was a good day for the Akatsuki, but if she ate five buckets…they knew that it was best that they run from her in terror. They had suffered through Konan's cycles and had ended up with some nasty scars and severe mental pain. Hidan had to pray extra to Jashin to protect him from the Amakura when she was going through her monthly cycle. Pain, Itachi and Zetsu were usually spared from her onslaughts. At the moment, the guys were hiding in a large closet shaking in their cloaks as they listened to Selûne stomping through the hideout looking for them.

"Think she'll find us in here?" Kisame asked from his position behind Kakuzu.

"Nah, if we mask our chakra and keep quiet, she won't look in here un," Deidara said, his voice muffled against Hidan's cloak.

"Tobi is a good boy! Tobi thought of this hiding spot because it's so BIG!" Tobi yelled while clapping his hands together, causing the men to panic.

"Shut up Tobi! She'll find u-"

The doors to the closet were thrown open and the men squealed like little girls, seeing Selûne standing there with an evil look on her face. She held her katana in one hand and a large jar in the other. "You know, it's funny that six S-ranked criminals can sound so much like little girls when they're frightened of one single girl. Let me rectify that so that you **are** little girls," she said, her smile widening even more to the point where it was just creepy. Once more the Akatsuki members screamed and began shoving each other to try to get out of the closet, leaving Tobi alone to be tortured by Selûne. As Deidara ran away from the living room, he could hear Tobi's squeals and cries for mercy, but then he heard a BOOM! and Tobi began screaming. He freaked out and ran through the first door that he saw, which unfortunately for him was Itachi's room. The Uchiha was sitting on his bed reading a book when Deidara burst in, not even jumping in surprise at the intrusion.

"Deidara…what the hell are you doing in my room?"

The bomber froze and turned his head slowly to face Itachi, beads of sweat running down his face. "Uhhhh…well you see Itachi, I-"

"Get out."

"But Uchiha, you don't und-"

"Out."

"Selûne is g-"

"Out."

"She's gonna ki-"

"Out." This time Itachi emphasized his word with a kunai thrown directly at the blonde, who yelled and ran out of the room. The Uchiha thought about what Deidara had said and sighed heavily, closing his book. So it was that time of the month for Selûne again…he was going to have to go calm her down so that none of the Akatsuki members ended up getting seriously mauled by her. He calmly walked out of his room and followed the sounds of screaming and banging right to the living room where he found Tobi hanging by his ankles from the ceiling over a cage containing a gigantic mutated spider, Kisame trapped in a fish tank with a bloodthirsty piranha contained in a cage viciously snapping at the bars, Sasori being dangled over a pit of termites, Hidan trapped inside an iron maiden, Deidara half buried in clay and Kakuzu bound by chakra chains while sobbing over a large pile of money that the Amakura held a flamethrower to. Itachi blinked slowly as he took in this sight trying to decide whether or not to intervene, but then Sasori saw him in the doorway.

"Itachi, help us out! She's completely insane!" One evil look from Selûne shut Sasori up immediately.

"End of the line morons! You know better than to comment on a woman's weight and appearance and now you will pay!"

She pulled the trigger on the flamethrower and set the money pile ablaze, ignoring Kakuzu's strangled scream as he tried to clutch his chest. "My three out of four hearts!" The old miser fell back unconscious. Selûne then pulled three strings, releasing the cage around the piranha, dropping Sasori into the pit of termites and Tobi into the spider's cage. Itachi watched with mild amusement as Tobi was attacked by the spider and Kisame was swimming frantically to avoid being eaten by the piranha while Sasori yelled as the termites ate away at his wooden body.

"Where the FUCK does she get these things!?" Hidan yelled as he struggled to break free of the iron maiden, but he only succeeded in driving the spikes deeper through his body. "Ahh that hurts so FUCKING GOOD!"

"Mmmmphhhh! Mmmg mppph mmmm!" Deidara couldn't speak because his mouth was underneath the clay, so his words were muffled.

Kakuzu was still unconscious…

This was worse than the last time that they were subjected to Selûne's menstrual tantrums! Itachi took a step toward her when the sound of the boulder being moved at the entrance reached his ears and he sensed the familiar chakra signature. _'Oh thank you Kami!'_

Konan appeared in the doorway behind Itachi and froze when she saw what was happening. Kisame was being chased by a piranha in a large fish tank, Tobi was being wrapped up by a gigantic spider, Sasori was being attacked by vicious termites, Deidara was half buried in clay, Kakuzu was unconscious in front of a large pile of ash and Hidan was trapped inside an iron maiden.

"Okay, who set Selûne off this time? I haven't seen her like this for months," the woman said, brushing past Itachi to the kitchen.

"Mmmph mmmmg mmmmm!" Deidara tried to say, but his words were muffled still. Konan came back carrying a large tub of cookie dough ice cream and a big spoon.

"Selûneeee…" she said, drawing the girl's name out. The Amakura turned from where she was trying to keep Kisame still and her eyes bugged out when she saw the ice cream. "Want some ice cream?"

"Ice cream…MINE!" Selûne tackled Konan, stealing the ice cream and spoon from her and running to her room with it. The blue-haired woman laughed and followed after the girl, leaving Itachi to help his comrades. Konan opened the door to Selûne's room, laughing some more when she saw how fast the Amakura was scarfing down the frozen treat.

"Judging from the scene in the living room, they must have said something to really set you off like that, Se-chan," Konan said as she walked over and sat down on the bed next to Selûne, who spared her a glance before going back to her ice cream. Just then, an anime light bulb appeared over Selûne's head.

"Oh yeah! Thanks for reminding me, Konan!" She made a hand sign and there was the sound of an explosion coming from the living room, the yells of the men reaching their ears. "My finishing touch."

"MY HAIR!" Deidara screamed, running past Selûne's room with his hair on fire. Kisame was running after him with the piranha chomping on his hair. "Let me help put it out, Deidara!" Kisame made a few hand signs and before every single Akatsuki member knew what hit them, a huge ass tidal wave rose from outside and rushed into the hideout, immediately flooding rooms and also putting Deidara's hair out. The only problem was that the piranha, now that it had a water source, was able to resume a more aggressive attack on the shark nin. The spider that had been wrapping Tobi flailed wildly in the water before abandoning its tasty meal and skittering out of the Akatsuki hideout, disappearing into the forest to create more havoc. The termites in Sasori drowned and ceased their feasting, leaving Sasori half gnawed away. Unfortunately for Hidan, the iron maiden withstood the explosion and water, so he was still trapped in there. Kakuzu was still unconscious, floating on the water. Itachi stood there stoically, his black hair dripping with water. His cloak had gotten soaked and now clung to his body, outlining every perfect contour of his muscles. What happened next would haunt Itachi for the rest of his breathing days. He sighed and made a few hand signs. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu." Instead of aiming it somewhere sensible, he blew it right onto him, catching his cloak on fire! Itachi stood there for a moment as he watched the dancing flames lick away at his clothes. "Well…that was dumb of me…" He threw himself into the water that had risen to mid-thigh, effectively putting out the fire.

Meanwhile, Selûne had closed the door to her room and sealed it so that the water didn't come in and flood her room. Konan sat there on the bed looking impressed. "I guess my lessons in getting revenge really paid off, huh Selûne?"

"Yeah it did, but I don't think I could ever compare to you, ane," Selûne said and the blue-haired woman smiled slightly. Being the only two females in Akatsuki, the girls bonded and became sisters. "After all, you didn't just burn Kakuzu's money like I did. You took 3 million ryo and blew it all on clothes, jewelry and origami paper. That was awesome!"

"Ooh! Remember what I did to Deidara when he kept taking my straightener?" Konan said, an evil gleam in her eyes. Selûne grinned, a similar gleam in her eyes.

"Oh I remember all too well, but who do you think really did the number on Deidara? You only cut his hair really really short, but I burned it probably to the scalp! I think I took the cake with that!"

"What about when Kisame kept leaving the bathtub full of seawater? I had to spend almost three days cleaning that shit out!" Konan said, a shiver going through her as she remembered that episode. "I threatened to make him into shark fin soup, but what you did with the piranha was definitely better!"

"I think I may have gone a little too far with Tobi, but he did comment on my weight," Selûne said, an anime vein popping on her head as she remembered what he had said about her being heavy.

"Yeah I remember when I found them raiding my panty drawer. It took them nearly two weeks to recover from the paper cuts I gave them," Konan said, smiling at the memory. Selûne couldn't help but laugh when she imagined the stoic Itachi going through Konan's underwear drawer.

"I never thought that Itachi would go through a woman's panty drawer," she said, giggling some more at the thought when Konan interrupted her.

"Honestly Itachi was an innocent bystander, but I was in a pissy mood so I gave him tons of paper cuts too. Poor guy wouldn't talk to me for mo-"

"MY MONEY!" Well it seemed that Kakuzu had finally regained consciousness.

"I think Kakuzu needs a few replacement hearts. Apparently I gave him three heart attacks at the same time," Selûne said, burying her face in her pillow to muffle her laughter.

"Without a doubt Selûne, I think this is probably the best out of all the torture we put them through," Konan said, placing her hand on Selûne's shoulder. At that moment Deidara burst into the room anime crying as he threw himself at the Amakura, landing in her lap.

"Se-chan, please forgive me! I'm so so so so sorry for saying such rude things to you earlier! Forgive me please! I'll do anything you ask of me!"

Selûne and Konan exchanged a look before a decidedly evil smile came over Konan's face. She leaned in and whispered something into Selûne's ear, the Amakura's expression changing from a surprised look to a devious look. She looked back down at Deidara with an evil grin, the expression sending a shiver through the bomber. He was even more shocked when she leaned down and kissed the corner of his lips, her soft lips lingering just for a moment before she drew back. "Then do this for me Deidara." She got up and walked to her closet, opening it up and grabbing a pink kimono, complete with white and red flowers on the front with a light green obi that sported a hexagon design colored with pink, black and yellow. She tossed it to Deidara, a wide grin on her face. "Wear that around the hideout and sing like a little girl."

Deidara stared at her like she had grown a second head. She stared back at him, a wide smile on her face. Finally after realizing that this was the only way she would forgive him, he sighed and walked to the bathroom with the kimono. "This is going to be great!" Konan said as she produced a camera. The two girls waited for a few minutes until the bathroom door opened again, revealing Deidara in the pink kimono. Konan and Selûne sat there with their mouths gaping wide open. Deidara actually looked…_pretty!_ He had let his hair down so that it hung gracefully around his shoulders, but he still had his hair covering his left eye. Konan snapped out of it first and snapped a quick picture, startling Deidara.

"This is going to be worth millions!" she said when she looked at the picture, an evil smile spreading over her lips. "What song should we have him sing?"

"Hmmm…" Selûne put a finger to her lips as she thought hard and long about what to have the blonde sing. An idea suddenly struck her and she grinned evilly. "I got it!"

Deidara shrank to the size of a flea as the two women hovered over him with matching gleams in their eyes, afraid of what they were going to do to him.

* * *

Itachi had just managed to get the living room cleaned up and water-free along with the help of Kisame and Sasori, a sigh escaping the three men. It had been extremely difficult to pry Tobi from the floor where the spider had wrapped him, but they had managed nonetheless. Kisame had just put the finishing touches on cleaning the couch when Deidara stepped through the doorway. Itachi, Kisame and Sasori looked at him for a moment before turning away, then doing a double-take. The blonde was dressed in a pink kimono with red and white flowers and a light green obi.

"The fuck?" Kisame was the first one to say something. If it was possible for Deidara's face to get any redder, he would have been a tomato. Deidara took a breath before a big smile spread over his face and he began dancing.

"_I'm a Barbie girl, in a Barbie world! Life in plastic, it's fantastic! You can brush my hair, undress me everywhere! Imagination, life is your creation!"_

The three men stood there frozen in shock as they watched their feminine comrade dancing and singing. Sasori scooted closer to Itachi and whispered to him. "I think the brat's finally realized he's a woman." Itachi just stared blankly at the blonde. When Deidara had come to the part 'undress me everywhere', he untied the obi and threw the kimono off, revealing himself in thong underwear! All three men anime fell, their eyes and legs twitching. It only became worse when the blonde spun around to reveal his bare ass and smacked it. Konan and Selûne stood in the doorway taping Deidara's performance, trying hard not to laugh.

"What the fuck's going on in here?" Hidan yelled as he walked through the kitchen doorway, but he froze when he saw the scantily clad Deidara. "The FUCK!?"

"What's going on now!?" Pain yelled as he came up behind the two women, looking over their heads and seeing Deidara. He stared at the almost naked man for a few moments before turning around and walking back to his office, muttering something about stupid Akatsuki members and needing some aspirin for his oncoming headache. Konan poked Selûne in the side to get her attention and the two women bolted out of the room, running to the Amakura's room to review the video footage. Itachi was the first to compose himself before ripping Hidan's cloak off of him, earning him a "Hey you fucker!" before sending the Jashinist into his Tsukuyomi. He tossed the cloak at Deidara, giving him a deadly glare. "Get dressed…"

Deidara covered himself up, a blush covering him from his head to his feet. Kisame was holding his nose to staunch the blood flow while Sasori reattached his arm which had fallen off for some odd reason, his expression stern. "What the hell brat? Why the hell were you dressed up like that?"

"S-Se-chan said it was the only way she would forgive me for calling her fat un," Deidara said, clutching the currently unconscious Jashinist's cloak to his small frame. "She's going to do the same to us if we don't beg forgiveness from her."

"I think what she did was enough for revenge," Kisame said sullenly as he stared at the piranha in the fish tank. The bloodthirsty fish snapped its jaws at him and the shark nin shivered, remembering what it felt like to have those jaws chomping on his hair which looked like it had been attacked with a razor.

"Hn, well I hope you all learned a lesson," Itachi said, picking up the kimono and looking it over. He had seen Selûne wear it once when he had still been living in Konoha, but he wasn't surprised that it still fit her. She hadn't gotten any taller from her impressive height of 5'5, which was how tall she had been when she was thirteen. He began walking out of the living room to return the kimono to Selûne when piercing screams echoed from her room, sending chills up his spine. They continued and as they got louder, his steps became faster until he came to her door and threw it open. The two kunoichi were sitting on Selûne's bed watching the video footage of Deidara's little performance, laughing their asses off. Selûne was burying her face into a pillow as her face became bright red, her muffled laughter still audible. Itachi simply stared at them before tossing her kimono onto the floor and leaving the room.

What a weird day…

* * *

**_Closing Theme: Wind by Akeboshi_**


	30. Arc Asunder

_**Yay for a new chapter! I'm not going to be updating as much now because I work a night shift and have to sleep during the day, but I will endeavor to get chapters up as soon as possible! Hopefully I'll get more reviews and more followers and favorites for this story. It'd be really nice *cue puppy dog eyes***  
_

_**ShadowBloodNinja- Hahaha if I had a friend come to my wedding like that, I'd be freaking out. Enjoy the new chapter and hopefully it isn't too lame or weird :P  
**_

_**Onward with the story! Review or Hidan will sacrifice you to Jashin and then Kabumaru (or whatever the fuck he calls himself now) will raise you in the Impure World Reincarnation!  
**_

_**Opening Theme: No Boy, No Cry by Stance Punks**_

* * *

_A nine year old Selûne was playing hide and seek with her little brother Nobutoshi one summer day in Konoha. She had hidden in the prayer house behind one of the large wooden pillars nearest to the shrine, listening as her brother's footsteps drew closer and closer to her hiding spot. She looked over at the swords that adorned the shrine, held by their handles in the hands of the statue of Tamiko. If she reached out with her hand, she could touch the tip of the blade, but Nobutoshi would see it and her hiding spot would be given away. His steps stopped just a few feet away from where she was, his soft breathing the only sound in the house. Her breath hitched for a second, her arms and legs trembling slightly. Just then, Nobutoshi jumped around the corner._

"_Found you ane!"_

_Selûne screamed, tripping over her feet and falling forward toward the sword held in the statue's hand. An unbelievable pain shot through her chest and she gasped loudly at the overwhelming feeling as she looked down to see that the sword had gone right through her chest, completely impaling her upon it. _

"_ANE!" Nobutoshi ran out of the house screaming for their mother, leaving Selûne alone with her life's blood trickling down her chest. She coughed, watching as little flecks of red peppered the surface of the altar. Was this what dying felt like? It was painful, but the pain was slowly ebbing away, giving rise to a peaceful feeling. She vaguely registered Nobutoshi bursting through the doors of the prayer house with their mother behind them, hearing their mother's strangled screams as she pulled her daughter off of the blade, the blood flowing more freely from her wound now._

"_Selûne, my baby!" Maya Amakura screamed as she carried her daughter out of the prayer house and to the hospital. "Don't worry baby, you're going to be alright!" _

_Selûne couldn't keep her eyes open anymore…_

* * *

_Selûne woke up to a white room, her eyes blinking sleep out of them. She was surprised to not feel any pain as she brought her hand up to her chest where the sword had gone through, feeling a very thin scar there. _

"_Ane!" Nobutoshi ran to her side, jumping into her arms and hugging her tightly. "I was so afraid that you had died! I'm so sorry for what happened! If I hadn't done what I had done, this wouldn't have happened!"_

_Selûne smiled down at her little brother, taking his hands in hers. Nobutoshi looked up at her, his blue eyes overflowing with tears and his little button nose splotched with red._

"_Ototo, nothing will kill me. I promise you that I will stay alive to protect you no matter what."_

"_You promise, ane?" Nobutoshi smiled up at her, his cheeks glowing red with happiness. Selûne pulled him into a tight hug, running her fingers through his short brown hair._

"_I promise, Nobutoshi. I will give my life for you…"_

Selûne stood before the shrine in the prayer house, holding the three crests in her hands. After the week of torture in the Akatsuki hideout, she had departed to Konoha with Itachi and Kisame in tow to acquire Arc Asunder, promising Pain that it would only take four days for her to get it and come back. Surprisingly he was understanding about it, but then she realized why; he just wanted her to get rid of Miyako so that he could destroy Konoha himself…the power hungry prick. It had taken a lot of willpower for her to enter the prayer house because she didn't want to remember what had happened that day with Nobutoshi, but she had to. She took the Senju crest in one hand, intending to fit it in its rightful place when a gleam of white caught her eye. She looked over to see a long strip of white ribbon laying on the ground near the shrine and her heart nearly stopped upon seeing it. It had belonged to her mother, Maya.

"Mama…" Was that really her voice? It sounded so broken, so sad that she wanted to slap herself for sounding so pathetic. The crests fell from her hands as she fell to her knees, one hand picking up the silky ribbon and rubbing it between her fingers. It surprised the Amakura that the simple hair ornament had survived the test of time, but then again it had been her mother's favorite hair decoration. She remembered watching her mother put her hair up in its signature ponytail before tying the white ribbon in a bow at the spot where the hair tie was situated. It had made Maya Amakura look a lot younger than her age of thirty-three. Now…as Selûne held the lovely ribbon, she could feel a warmth permeate her being, almost like the warmth she had felt when her mother had hugged her in her mind. "Mama…aishiteru…"

Itachi and Kisame watched as she took the ribbon and tied it into a bow in her hair, giving her a more innocent look than before. She took the crests and fitted them into their places in the shrine, a quiet _click _reaching her ears as the Amakura crest was pushed in. Before her very eyes, the shrine split cleanly in half as it opened to reveal a passageway leading down into the depths of the prayer house.

"Damn…" Kisame said lowly. Selûne ignored him and walked down the stairs with the two Akatsuki members following her. It was a simple layout; the stairs down and then a short hallway that led into the chamber that housed Arc Asunder. She heard Kisame's breath hitch upon seeing the large halberd that crackled with eternal lightning, imagining Kisame was probably salivating at the thought of wielding it.

'_No way in hell, Kisame.'_

She could practically feel the raw power radiating from the weapon as she approached it, her hair standing slightly on end from the electricity in the air. Her hand stretched out to grasp it by the handle…

A burst of fire came at her, causing Selûne to jump back from Arc Asunder and face the person who attacked her. Whoever it was, they were shrouded in darkness making it hard for her to see who it was.

"You're fast…but then again I wouldn't expect anything less from myself," a woman's voice sounded from the darkness. Selûne stiffened for a moment upon hearing that voice. It was her own, but it was deeper and much harsher than her normal voice. The woman in the darkness stepped into the light of the torches, her light brown hair glinting in the dim light as her red eyes glowed at Selûne. Kisame took a step back as he gripped Samehada's handle and Itachi's eyes widened a whole one hundredth of a millimeter as he gripped a kunai tightly. Selûne was holding her katana in her hand as she stared down her opponent, but it was freaking her out. Before her stood an exact copy of herself except that the eyes were blood red and the blue tattoos on the face were red and jagged instead of the straight lines she had. The teeth were also slightly more pointed than her own, giving the woman opposite her an almost animalistic look.

"Who are you?" Selûne said, but inwardly she slapped herself for asking such a stupid question. The woman chuckled, her red eyes narrowing at the Amakura.

"You should consider yourself stupid for asking yourself that question," she said, smirking as the Amakura took a step back.

'_She can read my mind…?'_

"Of course I can. The only reason why I can…is because I am you. I am the darkness that lies in your soul. If you must give me a name, call me Yami Selûne."

"I was only aware that Miyako was the darkness within me, not you," Selûne said, her grip tightening on her katana.

"Please…Miyako is only a pitiful spirit within us. I am the one who kept us alive through everything. I am the product of everything tragic that has happened to us. The loss of our parents, the loss of the Uchiha family that took us in, Sasuke…" Itachi twitched slightly at the mention of his little brother. "Everything that has happened to us to create anger within us is what created me. You can fool yourself all you want, but the truth is that I am you and you are me."

"Why are you here then?" Selûne asked, the hair on the back of her neck standing on end.

"Did you really think that coming here and getting Arc Asunder would be that easy? This chamber has a spell upon it which was placed here only days before our parents' deaths. Its purpose was to force you to confront and defeat the darkness in you that our parents knew we had…me. In order to defeat Miyako, you must do so with a pure soul to combat her tainted soul. But…I will not let that happen…"

"So you agree with Miyako!? You're willing to have me corrupted so that Miyako cannot be defeated?!" Selûne's voice was incredulous. Her own self was supporting Miyako in her mission to destroy the Leaf Village!?

"Think about it…the village is the cause of the many terrible things that happened to us! The destruction of the Uchihas, Sasuke's departure…you can even see the looks that the villagers give us. They fear us because of what we harbor. Even Tsunade-sensei fears us because of the great power that we possess! The Hidden Leaf must be destroyed for its transgressions!" Itachi took a step forward, but the red eyes of Yami Selûne settled on him, glittering with madness.

"No…" Selûne said, drawing Yami Selûne's eyes back to her. "I refuse to have this all happen. After all…there are people that I love in the Hidden Leaf…and they love me back. I swore to protect them with my life and I do not go back on my vows."

The evil Selûne snorted, crossing her arms over her chest and fixing the original Amakura with a glare. "Name one person in the village that you love!"

Selûne stared down at the ground, her mind's eye conjuring an image of the number one hyperactive knucklehead ninja of Konoha. Yami Selûne huffed when she read what Selûne was thinking.

"The Kyuubi boy? All he's done is bring us to the brink of death multiple times, but those times were when you completely ignored the warnings I gave you to not interfere in the battles between him and the Uchiha boy."

"Despite that, Naruto is extremely precious to me. He reminds me of Nobutoshi…"

"Our brother…" Yami Selûne breathed, her red eyes suddenly sad.

"Naruto is a good person despite him being the vessel of the Kyuubi. The hatred of the Kyuubi may overwhelm him at times, but the fact remains that Naruto himself is a pure soul devoid of any anger or hatred. He protects those that he cares about with his life…which is what I do. No matter what happens, I will stop Miyako and nothing, not even you, will stop me."

Yami Selûne smirked, drawing her katana. "Very well, then I shall end your miserable life!" With those words she came at Selûne. Selûne watched her as her eyes closed, Otohime's voice echoing through her mind.

"_Do not lose yourself to hatred or Miyako will succeed in her plans…you must fight against the darkness in your heart and accept it as part of you. If you do not let it overwhelm you, you will remain pure."_

"_Se-chan!"_ Naruto's voice joined Otohime's as his image appeared in her mind, his big smile plastered on his face. _"Thank you for everything!"_

"_Ane!" _Nobutoshi came after Naruto, his smiling face glowing pink. _"I know you'll keep me safe because you're such a strong kunoichi! I love you ane!"_

Her eyes shot open just as Yami Selûne slashed the katana where the Amakura's head should have been. Instead of slicing through flesh, the katana went through thin air. Selûne had dodged the attack and ran toward Arc Asunder, gripping the handle and lifting it from its ornate wooden stand. Yami Selûne growled in anger and whipped around to plunge the katana through Selûne's chest, blood flying. Yami Selûne smirked, watching as the blood stained the front of Selûne's clothing.

"You didn't even try to defend yourself. You must be very foolish to leave yourself open like that," she commented, digging the blade deeper into Selûne's body. A small smile crossed Selûne's lips, causing the other woman to raise an eyebrow. "Why are you smiling!? You're going to be dead soon and all you can do is smile! Why not beg for mercy or give in to Miyako!?"

Selûne gripped the blade of the katana, holding it in a firm grip. "Because…despite everything that has happened to me in my life, there are things that have replaced what I have lost. Tsunade-sensei…she is like my mother, always there for me, encouraging me, loving me. Naruto…he is like Nobutoshi, the little brother that I'll always miss…"

Yami Selûne's eyes widened as Selûne pushed herself forward, impaling herself further onto the blade until she was only a few inches away from her dark self.

"And best of all…" she began, her bloodstained hands reaching out for the other woman. "I found love…"

Itachi took a step toward them and Selûne looked at him, a gentle smile on her face. Yami Selûne looked at him as well, her expression one of surprise. "Because you spent so much time hating the village and everyone for what happened to us, you were blind to the good things that happened. Everyone has hatred within them…it just depends on whether or not they allow it to consume them that taints their soul. If I had not had everything that I have now, I would have lost myself to the darkness. You always try to use your power to bring about destruction, but my power exists to serve a greater purpose, to protect and help the ones I love. I'll live for that purpose even if my body is completely broken, even if it costs me my life…"

Yami Selûne stared at Selûne with wide eyes, her face completely shocked before it changed to an evil smirk.

"You can't beat me with pretty words and neither can you chase me out of your mind. I know you better than anyone else ever will!"

Selûne took the opportunity to wrap her arms around her dark self, hugging her tightly to her body. "You're a part of me, but it doesn't matter if you are the darkness in me. As long as I don't let myself become consumed by it, I am uncorrupted. I'm going to have to live with you because you have made me as strong as I am now and I suspect that I wouldn't be here without you."

"Then…" Yami Selûne looked down at the ground, her red eyes glistening in the torchlight. "What am I to you?"

Selûne pulled away from her dark entity and looked her right in the eye, her own blue eyes glistening. "You are me…"

"Then…what do you suggest I do now?"

Selûne smiled, embracing her Yami once more. "You become me…become a force for good and keep Miyako from succeeding in her plans…turn my hatred into a force to defeat evil…I have to accept you as part of me and…I'm happy to have you…thank you for everything."

Yami Selûne gasped softly before her features changed to match that of Selûne, her eyes turning blue and the tattoos receding to their normal shape and color. Her eyes closed as her arms went around Selûne, both women hugging each other tightly.

"Thank…you…" Yami Selûne said, her body slowly dissolving away. The last thing Selûne saw on her twin's face was a small smile before she completely disappeared, the katana disappearing too. The wound in her chest closed up rapidly, leaving only the blood on her clothes. She pressed her fingers to the thin scar on her chest, a feeling of nostalgia coming over her.

'_It was a perfect strike. She got me in the same exact spot…'_

A shock of electricity went through her arm and she looked down to see Arc Asunder crackling with intense electricity. She smiled as she lifted the large halberd in front of her, her hair standing on end. "I finally have it…now I can defeat Miyako and end this nightmare."

Kisame approached her with a toothy grin. "Way to go kiddo, now how about we get out of here," he said as he laid a hand on her shoulder. When his hand came in contact with her skin, Arc Asunder sent a wave of electricity through her and through Kisame. Kisame's body stiffened as the shock traveled throughout his body, making his hair stand straight up and causing his teeth to clench in pain. Selûne realized what was happening and quickly moved so that Kisame wasn't touching her, watching as the shark nin stood there for a moment before keeling over.

"Ow…"

"Sorry about that Kisame. I don't think it really helps if you use Water Style jutsu and you touch a weapon infused with lightning," she said as she giggled at Kisame laying on the ground with anime scorch marks all over him. She placed Arc Asunder in the leather sheath that she had on her back so that the blade end was closer to the ground to prevent anyone from getting pierced accidentally and went to help Kisame up. Itachi stood where he was, his expression ever emotionless as he observed Selûne approaching with Kisame leaning on her shoulder. "Let's get back to the hideout Itachi. Leader will be pleased to know that our mission is completed."

"Hn, we should stay in the village for tonight but Kisame and I will have to be in disguise."

"Make sure you mask your chakra better this time. Tsunade-sensei nearly bit my head off the day after the festival," she said as she passed him with Kisame. Itachi twitched slightly before following her lead.

* * *

Selûne sat on the bed in the hotel room with the incomplete spirit orb in her hand, focusing her mind on its shape. Chakra pulsed in her other hand as it hovered over the orb, slowly taking its form to complete a full crystal. After her little run-in with her evil twin, she had gained more spirit power, just enough to finish the orb's shape. If she just put a little more concentration into it…

"Hey kid!"

Selûne screeched as the spirit orb flew out of her hand and onto the other bed, twinkling in the moonlight that shone in from the balcony. She instinctively punched the person who had interrupted her, catching him in the place where a man never ever ever wants to get punched. Kisame dropped like a stone, holding himself while sobbing in pain.

"Kisame! I'm so sorry but you know better than to sneak up on me while I'm busy," she said as she tried to get him to lay flat, but the shark nin just wouldn't get out of the fetal position.

"I was right in front of you, kid! How the hell did I sneak up on you!?" Kisame yelled, his voice slightly higher than usual. Selûne looked down at him before a heavy blush settled on her cheeks.

"Kisame, this might seem weird…but I'm going to need to place my hands there in order to take your pain away, okay?" she said, her heart beating so fast that she thought she would drop dead of a heart attack right there.

Kisame whimpered in pain, but he didn't move his hands. Irritated, Selûne jerked his hands away which earned a slight shriek from the shark nin and placed her hand on his crotch, her hand glowing with healing chakra. Kisame sighed with relief as the pain left him, leaving only a warm feeling that spread throughout his body. It was at that moment that Itachi came into the room.

'_Oh shit…'_

Itachi stood there with his hand on the doorknob, taking in the scene before him. Kisame was laying on the ground with Selûne hovering over him, her green hand on his crotch. An anime sweatdrop appeared on his forehead.

"Uhhh…it's not what it looks like!" Kisame said, waving his hands in front of his face. "I accidentally scared her and she punched me there, so she's trying to take the pain away! Please don't kill me Itachi!"

Itachi stood there, his eye twitching slightly. Just hearing that Kisame had gotten punched in the genitals by Selûne nearly made him want to grab himself. He knew just how hard Selûne could punch and Itachi was surprised that Kisame wasn't coughing up his testicles right now. He sighed heavily, closing the door behind him.

"Get up Kisame. It doesn't befit an Akatsuki member to cry and grovel on the floor."

The shark nin quickly got to his feet and ran out of the room, eager to be anywhere else except in the same room as Itachi. The Uchiha and Amakura stared each other down, red and blue/gold eyes piercing each other.

"Did you mean what you said?" Itachi finally asked, his Sharingan deactivating so his onyx eyes stared at her.

"What do you mean?"

"That you found love…?" Itachi turned his head to the side, a barely noticeable blush on his face. Selûne smiled at him, getting up from the floor and walking toward him, wrapping her arms around him and placing her head on his chest.

"Of course Itachi. When I said I found love, I meant you," she said as she hugged him tightly, enjoying the feel of his body against hers. She sighed contently as his arms came around her.

"Selûne, I…" he began, his voice quiet and almost sad. He couldn't finish what he wanted to say as he brought his hand up to bury itself in her hair, the light brown strands slipping like silk in his fingers.

"I'll do everything I can to protect you, Itachi…even if it does cost me my life," she said, her voice soft. "I don't want to lose you…I don't think I could live without you in my life."

Itachi stared ahead, his black eyes brimming with emotion. If any of the Akatsuki members were here, they would be poking fun at him for being so emotional, but they weren't here so he would enjoy this time with her while he could. "Thank you Selûne…for loving me."

"I love you with every fiber of my being, Itachi. Wherever you go, let me go too…we'll never be apart," she said as she leaned up toward him, her pink lips inches from his.

"Together forever…" he murmured before his lips met hers.

* * *

**_Closing Theme: Wind by Akeboshi_**

**_It's a bit sappy in this chapter, but more action to come soon! And maybe...*cue suspenseful music* an intimate scene between our very own Itachi and Selûne! Ciao!_**


	31. Aishiteru, Koibito

_**Happy Thanksgiving everyone! This little masterpiece was written at 4:30am so yeah...I hope you all enjoyed your dinners of turkey, potatoes and green beans!**_

_**ShadowBloodNinja- Since you like this story quite a bit, this chapter is dedicated to you because of the beginning craziness and then the sweet romantic moment afterward ^_^ I hope you enjoy because it gave me quite a nosebleed!  
**_

_**Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto, belongs to Kishimoto-sama, I own Selûne, yes, yes, would keep Itachi under my bed if I owned him. Definitely.  
**_

* * *

"ACHOO!"

Needless to say…with that sneeze, Selûne became pissed. It had only been a few days since they had returned from Konoha and Itachi, for some odd reason, had gotten sick and was now laying in bed with blankets piled on him. Sasori had wanted to test a new concoction of his that was supposed to help, but Itachi suspected that it would only make things worse since all Sasori knew how to make were poisons. So Pain had snatched Selûne up in the middle of the night, much to her chagrin, and deposited her in Itachi's room with instructions to cure him quickly so he could go out on his next mission to retrieve a scroll of sealing. Like she said before, power hungry prick. Now the Amakura was stuck with feeding and keeping the Uchiha warm, which bothered her slightly because she was dead tired and also bothered Itachi because his dignity was slowly crumbling away. Oh the shame…

"I'm going to make you some tea Itachi. Just stay under the blankets and don't move," she grumbled as she got up from the chair next to his bed and left the room, ignoring his half-hearted protests of "get back here" and "don't tell anyone". She passed by Hidan's room, ignoring the moans that came from it and also avoiding Tobi's room when she heard strange giggling from inside it. It was unlikely that they would have prostitutes in there because Pain would murder them for exposing the Akatsuki hideout like that, so she could only assume that Hidan was having a wet dream and Tobi was just…Tobi.

'_Do I want to know what they're doing…? No…just…no. It's not worth losing what's left of my sanity. Being with the Akatsuki is enough to have yourself committed to an insane asylum.'_

Selûne made her way into the kitchen and opened the cabinet, pulling a coffee mug out and setting it on the counter before grabbing the kettle and putting it on the burner. She checked the time and groaned out loud; 3:18AM. The next time she saw Pain, she was going to put him through spirit hell for waking her up so damn early! She went into the pantry and checked the many boxes of tea they had, ranging in flavors from vanilla to blueberry. She was surprised Kakuzu had allowed them to have so many boxes of tea even though he was probably forced to let them considering how cheap the miser was. Knowing him, he would throw in a leaf and say it was tea…dumbass. Selûne was just not in a very good mood, so she started grumbling to herself.

"Why couldn't Leader have waited until morning!? Oh wait…he's gotta have everyone in tip top shape! Oh, you're sick!? Let's have Selûne check you out cause we just can't have any of our members sick! Akatsuki members don't get sick cause we're all powerful! Fuck you Leader, just fuck you and your stupid God complex!"

She picked out vanilla honey chamomile tea in hopes that the chamomile would relax Itachi enough that he would be knocked out for a while. As she stepped out of the pantry still grumbling to herself, a very disheveled blonde stepped through the doorway of the kitchen.

"Huh…oh hey Se-chan, what're you doing up so early un?"

She glared at him, fervently wishing that he would just disappear so that he wouldn't add to her already growing headache. "Itachi's sick so I'm making him some tea…fucking Leader…"

"Huh?"

An anime vein popped on her head, her eye twitching slightly. "Stupid Leader woke me up to take care of Itachi at 1 in the damn morning! Apparently this couldn't wait!"

"Tch, that's Leader for you un."

"Yeah and it doesn't help that I have to touch Itachi when he's all sweaty and sticky. It's disgusting!" she said, not catching Deidara's head as it jerked up to look at her. "Not to mention that I had to pass medicine to Itachi from my mouth to his since he's so weak right now. His breath was really nasty from him puking like crazy." The gleam in Deidara's eyes was missed by her once more, the drool sliding down the side of his mouth as he imagined the Amakura taking care of him if he was sick. "At least it wasn't Hidan or Tobi who got sick. I'd probably have to scour my mouth with ammonia to get rid of the taste." Deidara ran out of the room, plotting how to get sick quick. Selûne lifted an eyebrow at his hasty departure, but shrugged her shoulders and went back to making Itachi's tea. After pouring the hot water into the mug and dipping the tea bag into the cup, she got out the sugar and creamer that Itachi liked, the French Vanilla flavor. Itachi would never admit it, but he loved sweets. Actually that was an understatement on Selûne's part; Itachi _**loved**_ sweets so much that he would kill anyone for a dango stick or a piece of chocolate. From the amount of sweets he could put back, Selûne was surprised the Uchiha wasn't fat already. Then again, she probably shouldn't talk about her lover like that, but there were times that he just infinitely pissed her off. Sure he could be stoic and calm almost all the time, but when he did something stupid like catch himself on fire from his own jutsu, she just had to face palm. She remembered that one time that Itachi had been eating a rather sugary doughnut when he accidentally dropped a piece of the doughnut onto the ground. He thought she hadn't been looking, but she had been watching as he reached down and picked up the piece, stuffing it into his mouth like it had never happened. And to think that the ground had all sorts of crap…there was that time when Tobi had a problem with wetting his pants at the table and all Deidara did about it was just take a paper towel to it, not even bothering to put cleaner on it.

'_It's possible that Itachi ate a piece of food that took on the germs from Tobi's urine…EWWWW!'_

Now officially grossed out, she mixed the sugar and creamer into the tea and threw the spoon into the sink before walking back to Itachi's room with the cup. Once again ignoring the sounds from Hidan and Tobi's rooms, she opened the door to find Itachi still buried underneath his blankets, the Mangekyou Sharingan staring right at her in a glare.

"Knock it off, Itachi. I know you feel degraded because you have to be taken care of, but it's necessary. If it makes you feel better, I'll let you watch when I fuck Leader up for this," she offered, watching as the Sharingan disappeared and onyx replaced them. That was Itachi's compliance…since Pain put this upon him, it would please him immensely to see the man writhing under torture. She handed him the cup and sat by his side, making sure he drank it. Sure enough, when Itachi smelled the vanilla flavoring, it disappeared pretty damn quickly. Selûne sat by his bedside, her head propped up by her hand as she made sure he drank every drop. Her eyes were getting heavy…she could almost feel the sweet grip of sleep coming upon her…

"Se-chan!"

An anime vein popped on her head when she recognized the voice. Tobi's voice was calling her, sounding frightened…of what she didn't know, but unfortunately Tobi wasn't going to stop calling her until she went to check on him. She sighed heavily, pushing herself up from the chair and to the door. "I'll be back Itachi, just rest."

She didn't wait to hear the Uchiha's response before she left the room and walked to Tobi's room, opening the door to a surprisingly colorful interior of rainbows and lollipops. You'd think for an Akatsuki member, Tobi would be more serious, but oh no. This is the Akatsuki we're talking about…the biggest group of morons the shinobi world has ever seen. And the biggest moron of them all aside from Hidan was currently sitting straight up in bed shaking like a leaf.

"Se-chan! It was terrible! Tobi dreamed he was being eaten by a giant crab!"

Selûne stood in the doorway for a few moments before slapping her forehead against her palm. Tobi had called her away for THAT!? Her patience was running thin with the orange-masked shinobi, if he could be called that.

"Tobi…" she began, her voice deadly soft. "It was a dream, it wasn't real. Go back to sleep before I make that dream a damn reality."

Tobi gasped and jumped under the covers, hiding himself from the Amakura's death glare. She closed the door quietly and began making her way back to Itachi's room when…

"Se-chan un!"

"FUCK!" she screamed, throwing her hands up in the air. "Kami, kill me NOW!" She stormed to Deidara's room, which happened to be right across from Itachi's and threw the door open, her face bright red. "What…the hell…do you want!?" she spat, glaring at the blonde who was buried under tons of blankets.

"Se-chan, I don't feel so good. Can you give me some medicine? I don't think I can move at all un," he said, giving her the best puppy dog eyes he could manage for being a terrorist bomber. Selûne could feel Itachi's eyes in the back of her head, staring at her as she stood in the blonde's doorway.

"Wonderful! Why not!? While I'm at it, do you want me to massage your feet and give you a nice hot bath, Deidara!?" she growled sarcastically, watching Deidara's face light up and feeling Itachi's intense glare burning through her skull.

"That'd be great un!" Deidara said, a big grin spreading across his face. Selûne's mouth dropped open and if it was possible for looks to kill, Itachi would have killed her already. She stood there shaking in anger, her fists clenched so hard that the nails broke the skin.

"I swear to Kami when this is over, I am going to terrorize the four of you! Yes, you too Itachi!" she yelled over her shoulder at the Uchiha, who tried his best to disappear underneath his blankets. The Uchihas may be an all powerful clan, but when faced with a woman's wrath, they were as insignificant as fleas. She stomped out of the room to get Deidara's tea, leaving the blonde and raven to glare at each other from their respective rooms.

"Extra cream and sugar too, Se-chan!" Deidara yelled after her. There was a moment of silence before her resounding "GO TO HELL!" reached their ears.

"This is gonna be so awesome! Having Se-chan give me medicine with her mouth is gonna be heaven un!" Deidara said, smirking at Itachi who simply glared daggers at the blonde. "Maybe I'll even get to cop a feel, hmm."

Itachi was normally a calm collected man, but since he was sick and the fact that Deidara was playing sick just so he could get close to _**his **_woman irked the Uchiha greatly. Insolent little bastard…he wanted to wring the blonde's neck until it snapped! Which is what happened next. With a growl, Itachi had flung himself out of his bed and into Deidara's room, throwing himself at the blonde with every intention of getting his hands around his neck. Amidst the muffled yelps from Deidara and growls of "I'm going to kill you veeeeery slowly" from Itachi, both men failed to see the Amakura standing in the doorway with a hot cup of tea made with the same flavor as Itachi's, her eye twitching slightly as she watched the two men fight like little kids. Her hand gripped the cup so tightly that it felt like if she squeezed it harder, it would shatter.

"What the hell!? Uchiha, get back in bed!" she yelled, placing the cup on a small table just inside the door and lunging at him. She heard Itachi grunt when she grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and began dragging him back to his room. Deidara's laughter reached her ears. "SHUT UP DEIDARA!"

"What the FUCK is going on!?" Shit…Hidan was awake.

"Fuck you Hidan!" she yelled back. "Go back to sleep or I'll castrate you!"

The Jashinist was silent after that. _'Good choice for such a brainless idiot.'_

Selûne threw Itachi back onto his bed and covered him up again. "If you don't get better in the next day or so, Leader's going to be all over my ass! So stay in bed or else!"

Itachi grunted, watching his woman go back into Deidara's room and give him his cup of tea. What Deidara said next though made him reaffirm his decision to choke the life out of the bomber. "Se-chan, you think I could get some medicine? I would, but my body feels sooooo weak."

The Uchiha's hands curled into fists as he watched the bomber give big puppy eyes to Selûne, who sighed and went back into Itachi's room to get the medicine. "Don't tell me you're actually going to give him the medicine the way you did for me…" he said, staring at her with an incredulous look on his face.

"I can tell he's faking, so I'm going to surprise him Itachi," she said giving him a small smile, the first throughout the whole night. The Uchiha smirked and settled back into his blankets, eagerly awaiting the fireworks. The Amakura walked back to Deidara's room with the medicine in hand, a devious smile on her face that matched Deidara's. She opened the bottle and took two pills out, popping them into her mouth and chewing them slightly to fool Deidara into thinking she would give him the pills like that. She leaned down close to the blonde's lips, watching as he opened his mouth expectantly.

'_I got you now, little brat!'_

Quick as a flash, she pulled a needle from the sleeve of her robe and pricked Deidara with it, swallowing the pills at the same time. Deidara yelped loudly, but before he could do anything, she had already depressed the plunger which sent the liquid in it through his veins.

"Nighty-night, kid," she said as his eyes slowly drifted shut. She thought she heard him mumble "you devious bitch" before he fully sank into unconsciousness. She smirked and swiped the tea she had made him from the table, closing the door before going back to Itachi's room and ignoring the curious look that the Uchiha gave her. She sipped the hot tea, sighing at the flavor and the immediate relaxing effect it had on her as she slumped in her chair. She could have fallen asleep in the chair if it hadn't been for Itachi's arms going around her and pulling her gently toward the bed. When she realized he wanted her in the bed, she set the cup aside and joined him under his blankets, relishing the warmth of his body against hers. Suddenly she didn't mind if Itachi was sick…it wasn't like she could get sick anyway because of her Hira no Seishin which made her immune to disease and ailment. She buried her head in Itachi's warm chest, enjoying the feel of his elegant hand threading through her hair.

"Selûne…" she heard him murmur before his fingers lifted her chin so that he could kiss her. She kissed him back, feeling his hand on the back of her neck, pushing her more into the romantic gesture. When she pulled away for a breather, he leaned in and whispered in her ear. "I want you right now…"

Selûne could've sworn that her entire body had flushed a dark red at his lustful words. She felt him turn her so that she was laying on her back and he was hovering over her, a wicked gleam in his onyx eyes. "B-but Itachi…you're sick! You shouldn't be doing any strenuous activities right now!" she said. Even though she protested against his actions, she didn't stop him from lowering his head and nipping at her neck, earning a soft groan from her which made the Uchiha smirk against her skin. His hand traveled down the length of her body and untied the fluffy dark blue bathrobe she wore, delighted to find that she was only wearing her bra and panties underneath. It only made his job that much easier since he was only wearing black boxers, much to Selûne's chagrin after her tirade of "this is why you're sick" and "blah blah blah". His lips found hers in a hot open-mouthed kiss as he hooked his fingers in her panties and tore the cloth from her body, listening to her small gasp of surprise before it changed to a soft moan as his hand pressed against her. A heavy blush settled in her cheeks when Itachi slipped two fingers inside her, thrusting gently into her virginal body.

"Aah…Itachi…n-no…" she begged, trying to keep herself from giving in to the pleasurable sensations that flowed through her nerves to no avail.

"Don't resist Selûne…I want to prove to you just how much I love you," he whispered to her as he took her earlobe between his teeth, nibbling at the sensitive flesh and earning a quiet moan from the Amakura. "This is my ultimate act of love for you…"

Selûne breathed heavily when his fingers touched a particularly sensitive spot in her, her back arching slightly so that her chest was pressed against his. Itachi caught her breathy moan in his mouth as his lips closed over hers, stealing her breath from her as he moved his fingers around in her. Truth be told, he actually had no idea what he was doing as he himself was a virgin. He was one of those boys who saved himself for the right woman, the woman that he planned on being with for his entire life, namely the woman who was currently shuddering underneath him in sweet bliss. He wanted her completely bare against him. He pulled his fingers from her and lifted her body up so that he could get at the clasp of her bra, unhooking it and tossing it somewhere in the room, chuckling at her surprised gasp.

"I-Itachi…" She looked so cute laying there with her cheeks flushing dark red. He gave her one of his rare smiles before tweaking one of her nipples between his fingers, relishing in the sounds coming from her throat. He cupped her full breast in his hand, marveling at how firm and soft it was at the same time. Selûne watched him through half-lidded eyes, smiling softly at the look of curiosity on his face. "Koibito, I trust you…"

"Aishiteru, Selûne," he said as he lowered his mouth to her breasts, taking her left nipple in his mouth while his fingers played with her right. Selûne made a small noise in her throat when she felt the pressure in her belly begin to build up from Itachi's ministrations, squeezing her thighs together tightly which sent a shock of pleasure through her already overcharged body. Her hand moved of its own accord to rest against his crotch, finding the bulge in his boxers and lightly grasping it in her hand. Itachi's mouth paused momentarily before he resumed his attentions, switching from her left to her right. Selûne smiled deviously as she slipped her hand inside his boxers, finding his hard member waiting for her. She heard and felt Itachi's groan as she wrapped her hand around him, running the pad of her thumb over his leaking tip. He tore his lips from her breast and fixated his onyx eyes upon her as she continued to pump him, her trying to keep an innocent face, well…as innocent as she could considering the fact that she had her hand firmly wrapped around his member. Itachi bent his head and pressed kisses in between her breasts, down her stomach and down to her hips before his lips met the heated flesh between her legs. Her hand had left his boxers when he moved down her body, watching him as he pressed kisses to her skin and finally inhaling sharply when his lips met her lower regions. She closed her eyes as he spread her legs and lifted them so that they rested on his shoulders, exposing every tender pink fold of her feminine treasure to his heated gaze. Her eyes flew open when she felt his mouth against her core, his tongue languidly licking her folds. She sighed at the sensual feeling as she sagged against him, letting herself drift on the sensation of his lips and tongue on her before arching against him with a sharp cry when he caught her clitoris between his lips and teased it mercilessly. She could feel a familiar pressure building up in her belly that just begged to be released, but she held it back, not wanting to come all over his face.

"I-Itachi…stop teasing me…" she gasped, bucking hard against his face. She heard Itachi's low chuckle as he gave her one last lick and let her legs down, dragging himself up her body to her lips. Selûne closed her eyes as Itachi's lips moved against hers, catching the faint taste of her own essence upon his lips and tongue. Somewhere in the middle of their kiss, Itachi had divested himself of his boxers and his warm skin pressed against hers, his painfully hard member probing against her tiny opening. Selûne moaned loudly when his hand slipped between their bodies to rub against her wet womanhood, testing her readiness. He knew it would probably hurt for her since she was a virgin herself, so he wanted to go slowly so that she would gain nothing but pleasure from it. He positioned himself at her entrance and prepared to slip inside her when she grabbed him by his shoulders, switching them so that he was on his back and she was hovering over him. He lifted an eyebrow at her and she blushed, bringing a finger to her lips in a cute way.

"Well…since you made me feel so good, I should return the favor koibito," she said, kissing him quickly before moving down to his neck, nibbling gently before sucking on his skin. A jolt ran through Itachi's body and he bucked his hips against her, the head of his member slipping against her slick opening. The two lovers groaned, Itachi's hands coming up to grab her hips and Selûne's going to his chest. Her blue eyes met his as she wiggled out of his grasp, moving further down until her face was level with his large erection. The Uchiha watched her as she assessed her position, her small hand coming up to grasp his member gently. A shiver ran through his spine as her face drew closer to him, his eyes almost begging her to do it. Her pink tongue flicked over his tip, earning a loud groan of pleasure from the Uchiha as he thrust his hips up toward her, accidentally catching her underneath her chin and causing her to bite her tongue rather hard. She yelped and Itachi's hands immediately went to her neck, apologetic words spilling from him as he caressed her cheeks. After a moment of composing herself, she went back down on him and took the head of his member into her mouth, inwardly smiling at the sound of Itachi's loud moan. She flicked her tongue over his tip once more, catching the salty taste of his pre-come.

'_Hmmm…I was expecting it to not taste very good, but surprisingly it does…'_

Feeling a bit brave, she relaxed her throat and went down further on him until she was able to fit almost all of his 8 ½ inches in her mouth. Itachi couldn't help but thrust upward into the heat of her mouth, lost in the feeling of her tongue swirling around his member. Selûne gagged when he thrust up into her throat, almost wanting to throw up but she stopped herself in time. She continued her ministrations on his member as she angled her head so she could look up at his face.

Itachi's face was a picture of absolute bliss. His beautiful onyx eyes were shut tightly and his lips were parted slightly to let shallow breaths out, his brow beading with sweat. She noted the faint flush in his cheeks from the exertion he was going through, possibly trying to keep himself from coming. His gloriously sculpted chest heaved up and down with his labored breathing, his heart pounding heavily against his ribcage. When she ran her tongue on the underside of his head, his hands gripped her hair tightly to the point that it was almost painful, his teeth clenched hard around a moan.

'_I think it's time for the main event.'_

She gave him one last lick before releasing his member with a pop, smiling at the gasp that Itachi let out as she moved up over him once more, rubbing her slick entrance against his hard length. His fathomless black eyes cracked open to look at her, his hand coming up to caress her cheek gently.

"Selûne, utsukushi…you are more than this killer could ever wish for," he said as he sat up slowly, drawing her face down to kiss her softly. While he distracted her with his lips, he shifted them so that her back was now pressed into the mattress and his large frame covered her slender body. He left her lips and drew back to look down at her, marveling at how beautiful she looked in the dim candlelight. Her long brown hair was spread out over his pillows and her white skin was almost glowing in the low light, making the Uchiha wonder how incredibly lucky he was to have such a beautiful creature. She looked up at him with flushed cheeks, her blue eyes sparkling with love as she drew him closer to her, her lips barely touching his.

"I have no regrets, koibito. I want you…" she whispered, widening her legs so that he could settle between them more comfortably. Itachi rubbed his nose against hers as he took her lips in another heated kiss, nudging his stiffened erection against her entrance and sending a shiver through the Amakura's body. Selûne held her breath as Itachi's hand slid between their bodies to grasp his hard member, guiding it to her tiny opening and resting it there. He parted from her mouth for a moment to look down at her, his dark eyes asking her silently if it was okay to continue. Her only response was to kiss him again, lifting her hips slightly to try to slip him inside her. She felt his smirk against her lips before he slowly began pushing himself inside her, feeling her small entrance begin to stretch to accommodate his large size. Itachi paused for a moment to see if she was okay, his head the only part inside her so far. She didn't seem to be in pain so he continued, easing a few more inches within her until he hit resistance. It felt like a thin membrane, soft and yet tough at the same time. His eyes closed at the revelation that he would soon be making what could very well be a life-changing decision.

'_This is it…Selûne's virginity will be mine, and mine will be hers. Once we go through with this, we will never be separated. I love her too much to let her go…but I don't want to hurt her…Kami help me.'_

As if she could sense Itachi's inner struggle, she brought her hand to his cheek, causing him to open his eyes and look at her. She smiled at him, her blue eyes shining with love and trust. "It's okay Itachi. I'm willing to give you all of me if you give me all of you…you won't hurt me."

Her words struck at his heart and he turned his head to kiss the palm of her hand, smiling down at her. "Selûne…koi…thank you."

She closed her eyes and bit her lip as he pushed through her hymen, feeling a sharp jolt as it tore away. She was no longer a virgin. Itachi's hands entwined with hers as he worked his last few inches into her until their hips were flush with each other's.

"Selûne, look at me." His commanding voice reached her ears and she opened her eyes to meet his black orbs, seeing the smile in his. "You feel amazing koibito…" he said, giving an experimental thrust of his hips against hers. She threw her head back at the shock of pleasure that raced through her body, her mouth opening wide in a silent scream. Itachi hovered over her, his lips barely touching hers as he observed her reaction. "I want to give you nothing but the best. You deserve the best," he whispered, placing a kiss on her bottom lip before taking it between his teeth and sucking gently at it. Selûne couldn't respond; her breath felt like it had been sucked out of her. Judging from her reaction, Itachi felt that he could start moving because he knew if he didn't, he would go crazy with lust. He drew back until only his tip was inside her before thrusting back into her strongly, relishing in the sharp gasp that escaped her throat. His hands remained entwined with hers as he moved slowly in long deep strokes, watching her expression the whole time. Her cheeks were flushed as her breath came in short pants, her full breasts heaving rapidly as the waves of pleasure overcame her. When her head turned to the side, he took the opportunity to bite her neck, sinking his teeth into the soft flesh. She cried out from the sensation as he drew back, soothing the bite mark with his tongue. He smirked down at his handiwork; she was now truly his in every aspect.

"I-Itachi…" she murmured, trying to catch her breath. "Please…faster."

Who was he to deny her?

"With pleasure, koibito," he said, speeding up his thrusts until he was almost slamming into her. He could feel his climax not too far off and from the increase in her moans, she was close as well. The Uchiha's eyes almost rolled into the back of his head when he felt her inner walls clench tightly around him, nearly blinding him with the ecstasy. Her body was like his own personal heaven, one that only he could sample at his leisure.

"Aah…Itachi…I-I'm close," she gasped as she thrust her hips up to meet his, moving in sync with him. Itachi groaned as he pulled out to the tip and thrust back in hard, feeling the nearly scalding heat of his orgasm hitting him. "Oh Kami, Itachi!"

Her scream of pleasure was sweet music to his ears as her inner walls clamped down on him, nearly immobilizing him as she came hard. He gave a few more strong thrusts before he let himself go, his member twitching inside her as he released his warm semen into her shuddering body. Itachi's groan of pleasure sounded almost a bit pained as he collapsed onto her sweaty body, his own covered in a fine sheen of perspiration. The only sounds in the room were their lungs desperately gasping for air.

After what seemed like an eternity, Itachi pushed him up onto his forearms and gently pulled himself out of her warm body, almost immediately missing the heat that had surrounded his member. Selûne lay on the bed with her eyes closed, stretching languidly like a sated feline. Itachi smiled down at her as he stroked her cheek with his finger, causing the girl to open her blue eyes to look at him. A gentle smile appeared on her lips as she brought her hand to his cheek before threading into his hair, pushing the damp strands behind his ear.

"That was amazing…" she breathed, snuggling up against him and burying her face in his sweaty neck. "We should definitely do that again sometime."

Itachi chuckled, gathering her into his arms and pulling the covers over her to protect her modesty. "Anytime you want koi. Anything for you…" he said, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"Aishiteru Itachi…now and forever," she said as she kissed him deeply, feeling the blissful tug of sleep in her mind.

"Aishiteru Selûne…koibito," he murmured to her, cuddling her to him as she rested her head underneath his chin, feeling his eyes beginning to droop shut. He could feel her deep breathing that indicated she was asleep already. He smirked to himself before realizing something. After something like that…

He was feeling so much better now.


	32. Adult Time

_**Needless to say, I had a lot of free time on my hands so I managed to get this new chapter up amidst my playful niece and nephew as well as endless pain from my hospital visit. Chasing kids around all day really puts a toll on your body, especially if you're healing from internal problems. **_  
**_Yikes._**

**_ShadowBloodNinja- Since you are my #1 fan for this, this chapter is dedicated to you once more. The beginning is a bit risque, but I think it'll sate our crazed Itachi fangirl minds for a lil while. And isn't it always creepy when you have a stalker? I've had quite a few and it's scarred me for life cause this is true, no bullshit. One guy found out where I lived and sat outside my house in his car at night watching me get changed for bed. The only way I found out was cause my dad saw him and chased him away with a gun. Kudos to the dad! Thanks for being such an overprotective father who drives away every man I date, but then again, a father is always a girl's best friend ^_^  
_**

**_Enjoy, my pretties! Hopefully this will feed your ravenous Itachi craze for a lil!_**

**_Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto, belongs to Kishimoto-sama, if I owned Itachi, ShadowBloodNinja and I would tear him to shreds (yes SBN, I will share, but only a little!) XD  
_**

* * *

Itachi woke up a few hours later around nine in the morning feeling refreshed and very warm due to the combined heat of his and Selûne's bodies pressed together. He pulled away gently to look down at her sleeping face, a small smile crossing his lips at how beautiful and innocent she looked while sleeping. He remembered the events of last night and a wave of arousal coursed through him, sending blood to his already rising member even as he turned Selûne onto her back and moved down her body. His fingers explored the silky soft creases of her treasure before he lowered his mouth to her, his tongue licking all around her before pushing into her warm channel. He heard Selûne's soft moan as he ate her out, the sensual sound causing him to harden even more to the point that it was almost painful. The Uchiha looked up at her and saw that she was still sleeping even though her brows were furrowed slightly at the sensations that were going through her body, a smirk appearing on his face as he gave her one last kiss on her flower and moved up her body once more. Her eyes remained closed even as he positioned himself at her entrance and slid in, groaning at the feeling of soft warm flesh surrounding him. Her small moans grew steadily louder as her eyes fluttered open, the blue orbs blinking sleepily as they slowly focused on him when he began thrusting gently into her.

"Itachi…" she gasped as her arms wrapped around his neck and dug her nails into his skin when he thrust particularly hard into her, hitting a spot inside her that sent a warm wave of pleasure through her body. Itachi's groan of pleasure sounded from his throat as he continued thrusting into her warm body, feeling his climax creeping up on him. He watched her face as her eyes closed and her teeth clenched, feeling her inner walls convulsing before clamping down hard on him as she came, triggering his orgasm with her own. The Uchiha moaned loudly as he released his seed into her, giving a few more weak thrusts before collapsing on top of her, breathing heavily into the crook of her neck. Selûne's breathing was ragged as she tried to catch her breath, her hands threading into Itachi's silky black hair. The two lovers laid there for a while, enjoying the moment as long as they could until…

"Hey! What's going on in here? I thought I heard someone in pa-" Kisame stopped when he had opened the door to see his partner and the Akatsuki's main medic in bed together completely nude. It didn't take him long to figure out what had just occurred even though Itachi was still fully inside Selûne, backing his suspicions even further. He backed out of the room and closed the door slowly, heading to the bathroom to scour his eyes with bleach after seeing the Uchiha's naked ass. On his way to the bathroom, he passed by the kitchen where the rest of the Akatsuki were gathered eating breakfast. Pain noticed him first.

"Kisame! Did you check on Itachi like I asked you?" the self-proclaimed God asked his subordinate. The shark nin paused mid step and backtracked to the doorway of the kitchen, his normally small eyes nearly bugging out of their sockets.

"What the fuck's wrong with you, fish fuck? You look like you've seen a fucking ghost," Hidan said through a mouthful of egg. Surprisingly Kisame did not attack him when he called him that.

"Itachi…Selûne…bed…" Kisame said, sounding as if he were in a trance.

"What about them and the bed?" Pain asked, lifting an orange eyebrow as he bit into his toast.

"Itachi…naked…Selûne…boobs…ass…" THUD! Kisame fell back and hit the wall with his head, knocking himself unconscious. Pain stood from his chair to inspect the missing Kiri nin before looking at Konan with a confused look.

"What do you suppose he was talking about?"

Konan shrugged, but inside she had a feeling she knew what Kisame was talking about. She got up from her chair and walked out of the kitchen toward Itachi's room, the rest of the Akatsuki following her with matching expressions of curiosity on their faces. When she was standing outside Itachi's chambers, she paused for a moment and steeled herself before opening the door. When she saw the two lovers in bed, she froze. Itachi was still on top of Selûne, his bare ass displayed for the whole world to see while she could see that the Uchiha was still buried deeply inside the girl. She closed the door slowly and began making her way to the bathroom to scour her eyes out with bleach. Pain stopped her when she had only taken a few steps.

"What's going on in there, Konan?"

"Itachi…Selûne…ass…sex…" she muttered before taking off in a full out sprint to the bathroom. The rest of the Akatsuki stared at each other for a moment before Deidara blew his top.

"WHAT!? Why does fucking Uchiha get everything un!?" he yelled, going to his room and slamming the door shut. Everyone could hear him grumbling "fucking Uchiha always getting everything? I bet she wouldn't want him after I blow his face up a little..." Pain looked to the remaining Akatsuki members with death in his eyes.

"Whatever you idiots do, do not let Deidara harm Itachi in any way or it'll be your heads." Everyone nodded pretty damn quickly, fearing what would happen if they failed their leader.

"It's about time the bitch got fucked," Hidan said, crossing his arms over his chest and nodding approvingly. "Even though her choice in partners is seriously fucked up. I would have done better than Uchiha."

"Shut up Hidan. You wouldn't know what to do with your dick if you were ever in a situation like that anyway," Kakuzu said, going off to his room to count his money.

"What the fuck's that supposed to mean, old man!? Get back here and say it to my face!" the Jashinist yelled as he followed the miser down the hallway.

Inside Itachi's room, the Uchiha and Amakura were laughing at the antics of their fellow Akatsuki members. Itachi pulled from the heat of Selûne's body and settled his body next to hers on the bed, pulling her into his warm embrace.

"I think it's safe to say that we have scarred them for life," Selûne murmured, her lips moving against the skin of Itachi's shoulder. He chuckled softly and licked the shell of her ear, sending a shiver through her spine.

"We should probably get up now," he said, kissing her forehead before throwing the covers back from her nude body and getting up. Selûne watched him as he walked to his drawers and pulled out a fresh pair of boxers, slipping them on over his gloriously sculpted ass.

'_I'm so lucky to have someone as gorgeous as him…'_

Itachi turned to look at her, a smile on his lips. "Look all you want, koibito. Everything you see belongs to you," he said, flexing his lean muscles slightly. The Amakura felt a nosebleed coming on at the sight of his godlike body, sighing in contentment when he crawled back on the bed and began kissing her deeply. Life was really good.

* * *

Back in Orochimaru's lair, Daisuke flinched when he felt the energy source of his mistress flowing through him. The relationship between her and the elder Uchiha had been consummated.

"What's wrong with you?" Sasuke asked him. "You're acting very strangely."

"_Well if I told you, you would probably get really angry anyway,"_ Daisuke said. "_It's concerning mistress Selûne."_

"What about her? Is she okay?" Sasuke's voice sounded a little worried to Daisuke's ears, making the little spirit child chuckle.

"_Considering the fact that you wanted to kill her a few weeks ago, I'm surprised you're even worried about her right now. Are you sure you can handle the news I'm about to give you?"_

"Whatever it is, I'm sure I'll be able to."

Daisuke sighed, already anticipating the younger Uchiha's reaction. _"Very well…it seems that mistress Selûne and your older brother have been intimate. In other words, they have had sex."_

Sasuke was silent, his brain processing the spirit's words before it finally sunk in. All hell broke loose after that.

Orochimaru was reading a scroll of immortality when he heard the crashing and screaming from Sasuke's chambers, sighing heavily before rolling the scroll up and making his way to Sasuke's room. When he opened the door, he was greeted by what appeared to be a complete war zone. The bed was flipped over, pierced by multiple kunai and the frame shattered and set on fire. The dresser by the wall was smashed in and clothes strewn everywhere while the walls sported multiple holes from Sasuke's Chidori. And in the middle of it all, Sasuke was sitting in the center of the room, hugging the stuffed cat that he had given Selûne.

"Uh…Sasuke-kun? What's going on?"

The Uchiha looked up at the snake Sannin for a moment before going back to hugging the stuffed animal and mumbling to it. Orochimaru's eye twitched slightly before he backed out of the room and closed the door, hauling ass back to his room.

'_I think it's safe to say that Sasuke has finally gone off the deep end.'_

Back in Sasuke's room, the Uchiha was quietly sobbing as he squeezed the stuffed animal closer to him. "I can't believe she would do that to me…I thought she loved me!"

Daisuke sighed to himself; he had expected this reaction from Sasuke the moment the words left his mouth. _"Well Sasuke, she does love you but I think her love for you differs from her love for Itachi."_

"How so? I thought she loved me in the meaning that she wanted to be my wife…?"

Daisuke slapped his palm against his face. Were all Uchihas this stupid!? _"Sasuke…think about it. You are much too young for her! You're only thirteen and she is eighteen! It's better that she is with Itachi because they are the same age."_

"I don't want to hear it. It just means that I'll have to work harder to make her want me again," Sasuke said, his tears drying up on his cheeks. Daisuke slapped his palm against his forehead once more. Just his luck that he had to be stuck with the most pigheaded Uchiha in history. "I can't give up on her…I love her…hell I probably love her more than that bastard Itachi loves her!"

'_We'll see about that Sasuke…you'd be surprised at just how much Itachi really does love her.'_

Daisuke cringed at the warm feeling that overwhelmed him once more.

'_It looks like mistress has found a new activity.'_

* * *

Heavy breathing filled the room as Itachi thrust hard into Selûne, kissing her hard and shoving his tongue into her mouth. The Amakura moaned loudly into Itachi's mouth, her nails digging into the skin of his back as pleasure spread throughout her entire body. It was their third time making love that morning, counting the very first time in the early morning. After experiencing the pleasures of making love, they couldn't seem to keep their hands off each other, eager for the taste of heaven that lay at their fingertips. Unknown to them, the entire Akatsuki were sitting outside of Itachi's door, listening to the two lovers' cries and moans of pleasure. Some of the males, namely Hidan, were getting hard just listening to Selûne's breathy moans and were stroking themselves, imagining it was themselves in place of Itachi making the girl feel such pleasure.

Inside Itachi's room, the Uchiha had pulled Selûne's legs up so that they rested on his shoulders, giving him a better angle to thrust deeper into her. Selûne cried out as he bent down to kiss her, forcing his member further into her. He hit a particularly sensitive spot in her and she gasped, pain mixing with pleasure in a heady combination.

"Itachiii…" she moaned, feeling herself come undone for the third time that morning. Itachi could only moan as he let himself go, coming inside her once again. Instead of dropping on top of her this time, he wrapped her in his arms and rolled over so that she was on top of him. Still sheathed inside her, he began to lift her so that only his tip was inside her before dropping her down on him again, listening to her cry out from the new position. He helped her through the first few movements before she caught on, his hands resting on her hips as she moved over him. Itachi watched as his beautiful lover rode his shaft, loving the way her pink lips parted ever so slightly to let deep breaths out and how her breasts bounced with every thrust.

"Selûne…" he groaned when her small hands settled upon his pectorals, her fingers tweaking his sensitive nipples. She moved faster over him, moaning loudly as her orgasm took her again, her walls clamping around him and sending him into his climax. Her small body sagged against him in exhaustion as his arms went around her, his fingers running lightly over her sweaty skin.

"I don't think I can take any more," she whispered in his ear, making the Uchiha chuckle and kiss her just underneath the ear.

"You and me both," he said, feeling his heartbeat begin to return to normal. If they kept it up, their hearts would probably give out from the mind-bending pleasure, but that would be a heavenly way to die anyway.

* * *

Daisuke sighed when his mistress' feelings melted away, relaxing into the warmth of Sasuke's body. Since he was connected to Selûne through their minds, he could sense and feel whatever was happening to her and that included sex. He turned his attention to Sasuke, who was currently in his room cuddling with the stuffed animal he had given his mistress nearly six years ago. The spirit child sighed heavily once more, wanting to laugh at the pitiful expression on Sasuke's face, but his conscience stopped him from doing so. He knew what Sasuke was going through, but he knew that there was nothing that would console the Uchiha except having mistress back in his arms.

"_Sasuke…do you want to get in contact with her?"_

The younger Uchiha sniffled and nodded sadly, drying his tears with his white haori sleeve. Daisuke concentrated his mind's eye to locate Selûne's mind, managing to pull Sasuke's consciousness with him and into the Amakura's subconscious.

_Sasuke found himself in what appeared to be a wide field of wildflowers, the air smelling of fresh rain and the scent of the flowers. He looked around wildly, not seeing his beloved anywhere in sight. _

"_Where could she be?" he wondered to himself. He took a few steps through the tall flowers and paused, feeling a strange presence behind him. A hand went to his sword, gripping the hilt tightly as he prepared to attack whoever it was behind him. But just as he drew the sword from its sheath…_

"_Peace, young Uchiha…" a woman's voice said softly. "I am not here to do battle with you."_

_He turned his head slightly to see a woman with long black hair dressed in a pure white kimono, her golden eyes smiling gently at him. He kept his sword drawn, his black eyes daring her to make a move. "Who are you?"_

"_I am Otohime, Selûne's guardian spirit and younger sister of Miyako. I know why you have come, young Uchiha and I am here to reveal to you your role in Selûne's life."_

_Sasuke paused for a moment, contemplating her words before making a decision, sliding his sword back into its sheath and standing straight. "What can you tell me?"_

_Otohime smiled, her face shining brightly in the sunlight. "I know that you are aware that Selûne and your brother have consummated their relationship, but in time you will have your chance with her."_

"_What do you mean? Do you mean that I will be able to have her as my lover or my wife?" Sasuke asked, his heart beginning to lift. _

_Otohime was silent for a moment, her smile giving way to a frown as she turned away from the Uchiha. She muttered something that sounded like "forgive me Selûne" and faced him. "No, but in time you will be placed in a situation where you must choose between her safety and revenge. I know you have been in this situation before, so I must beg you not to choose revenge because it will only hurt both of you, mostly her."_

_Sasuke was silent as he listened to Otohime's words, his black eyes emotionless. The woman wiped her eyes of the few stray tears that had escaped before looking back at him, her golden eyes suddenly hard. "Whatever you do, please do not hurt Selûne. She is a gentle spirit who deserves only the best and your brother gives that to her. Please respect their bond…" She paused when Sasuke drew his sword again, pointing it at her. "Do not be hostile. I speak only the truth, young Uchiha."_

"_You are a malignant creature who speaks only lies! It was probably you that turned Selûne away from me and to that evil bastard!"_

_Otohime sighed, her shoulders slumping with exhaustion from dealing with arrogant Uchihas. "I serve no other purpose than being her guardian spirit and showing her the path to her destiny. I cannot tell her whom to love."_

_"Indeed you won't_…_because you will die here and now," Sasuke yelled as he charged at the defenseless woman, bringing his sword back to plunge through her heart. However…before he could stab her, his sword was deflected by a massive halberd crackling with lightning, the wielder's blue eyes glaring daggers at him. He leaped backwards, his black eyes widening with disbelief. "S-Selûne?"_

_The Amakura stood in front of Otohime creating a shield for her as she faced Sasuke down, Arc Asunder crackling intensely. "How dare you attack Otohime, Sasuke! In attacking her, you also attack me! Why are you even here?"_

"_I'm here for you, utsukushi…" Selûne flinched at the name he had called her back then, sounding so unfamiliar because now Itachi was the only one who called her that. "I know what you and Itachi have done and quite frankly, it broke my heart. I love you and you did that…why Selûne?"_

"_Sasuke…" Selûne began, strapping Arc Asunder to her back. "You're only thirteen and I'm eighteen. Itachi is my age and to tell you the truth, he isn't as evil as you think he is."_

"_What're you talking about!? He killed off the entire Uchiha clan!"_

_"I know Sasuke...but there's nothing I can do about it. I am bound to the Akatsuki and I cannot leave unless I die, and I do not plan on dying anytime soon. You are with Orochimaru and you know the potential danger to me if that snake comes anywhere near me, so it is probably best that we be separated."_

_"Selûne...I would have kept you safe. I've gotten so much stronger than I was before and I **know **I can protect you from him now. Please don't forget what we had before all this happened...I love you," Sasuke whispered, his black eyes brimming with emotion. He watched as her blue and golden eyes softened, a small smile appearing on her lips.  
_

_"Kurai...I love you too, but I cannot love you the way I love Itachi. Maybe if things had been different, we could have been together, but too many events have occurred that cannot be undone. We must live with the choices we have made and suffer the consequences that they bring about, but it is all a part of life. We may regret our actions, but in the end we cannot take it back," she said, taking a few steps toward him until she was standing before him, her body close enough that if he reached out, he would be able to hug her to him.  
_

_"Don't let this be the end, Selûne. I would do anything for you, anything..." the Uchiha said, his fists clenching tightly to the point that his nails broke the skin. "I **love** you."  
_

_Selûne sighed heavily, coming to a difficult decision in her mind. _"_I know you love me...and I love you as well, but __Sasuke, you chose the path of revenge…it won't end well for you and you know it. We can't be together if you continue to choose revenge…now begone!"_

_With a wave of her hand, Sasuke was thrown out of her subconscious and back into his own mind, her last words echoing in his ears. "I'm sorry..."  
_

"DAMN IT!" Sasuke yelled, activating his Chidori and punching through the wall. "She rejected me yet again!"

"_You're going to have to live with it Sasuke. Just accept it because she is much older than you, so wouldn't it make sense if she is with someone her age?"_

"Shut up! Who asked you?" the Uchiha hissed, his Sharingan activating. He really needed to blow off some steam.

* * *

Selûne sat on her bed in the Akatsuki hideout, rubbing her temples gently as Okami rested his head on her lap. After her encounter with Sasuke in her subconscious, all she wanted to do was rest since her interference in his assault had taken a toll on her from her somewhat strenuous activities earlier, but there was stuff to be done. Okami nuzzled her elbow, begging for some attention and she gave it to him, scratching him between his ears. It was times like these that she could just relax and cuddle with her familiar. But of course…all good things come to an end in the form of an orange-masked idiot.

"Se-chan! Play with Tobi! Tobi wants to play hide and seek!"

Selûne groaned loudly as she flopped back into her pillows, ignoring the twinge of discomfort that shot up her body from the center of her legs. It had been totally worth it to make love with Itachi, considering the fact that both of them had been virgins until 12 hours ago. "No Tobi, I'm not feeling too well right now. Why don't you ask your sempai to play with you?"

"But Se-chan!" Tobi cried as he jumped on her bed, bouncing up and down like crazy. "Deidara-sempai just wants to blow Tobi up all the time! He's no fun to play with anymore, so why can't Se-chan just play with Tobi for a little?"

"Tobi…let's just say that Se-chan had a little…_adult time_ with her boyfriend, okay?" Selûne said, trying to make it a little more obvious to the masked man as to why she couldn't play right now. She almost forgot it was Tobi she was dealing with…the man who was dumber than a box of rocks.

"Adult time, Se-chan? What's that?"

Selûne smacked her hand against her forehead, feeling a crushing headache coming on. _'I am going to skin him alive!'_

"Come on Se-chan, what's adult time? Huh huh huh!?"

"Adult time is right now, Tobi," a cool voice came from the doorway. Selûne didn't remove her hand from her forehead, already knowing who it was. "Now leave Selûne alone. I need to talk to her."

"O-okay Itachi-san. Tobi is a good boy so he'll leave Se-chan and Itachi-san alone," the self-proclaimed good boy said cheerily as he leapt to his feet and bounded past the Uchiha, skipping happily down the hall to annoy his sempai. Selûne heard the door close softly and the rustling of Itachi's cloak before her bed dipped slightly on one side, Okami's head lifting from her lap to growl at Itachi.

"Hush Okami, it's alright," she said, stroking the winter wolf between his furry ears. The wolf whined and settled back onto her lap, his ears twitching when she scratched just behind his right ear, which happened to be his favorite spot to get scratched. She felt Itachi take her hand and gently pull it away from her face, her blue eyes opening to look into his onyx orbs. A smile spread across her lips, his expression mirroring hers as he leaned down to kiss her, his tongue slipping between her lips to wrap around her tongue. Her arms came around his neck to pull him closer, causing Okami to jump off the bed whining when Itachi's body covered his mistress'. When they broke apart for air, she nuzzled her nose against his. "So what did you want to talk to me about, Itachi?"

"Nothing, I just wanted Tobi out of here," he said as he nipped at the soft skin of her neck, smirking at the soft sound she made. She smiled, pushing her face into his black hair as her hands undid the tie holding his hair back, allowing the silky soft strands to run through her fingers like water. His sigh of bliss was sweet music to her ears. Who would've known that the great Itachi Uchiha would completely melt at the smallest touch from his lover?

"I figured you would come back for more," she murmured as he began tugging at her shorts. He silenced her with a deep kiss as their clothes were thrown off and they made love for the fifth time that day.


	33. Selûne's Surprise

_**Short chapter, I know, but I've been busy lately and this is a major chapter in the story because it will be the basis for a sequel (DAMN IT!) Anyway, hope you enjoy the chapter and all.**_

_**ShadowBloodNinja- This chapter is dedicated to you again because you are the fan of this story. Like I said, this will be the basis for a sequel to this story, which infinitely pissed me off cause now I gotta get that out of my head. And chocolate is being nommed on right now as we speak :D  
**_

_**xXChirushiXx- Kyuubi may have a part as an antagonist, but if you read to chapter 18, the main antagonist is introduced. Good guess though :D And Sasuke will be bashed quite a few times in this story because while he is cute, he is somewhat of an asshole and emo kid unlike Itachi. Yay for Itachi! :D Hopefully you enjoy the story!  
**_

_**Now onward with the story!**_

* * *

Nearly a month and a half after Sasuke's assault on Otohime, Selûne was resting on her bed with Atsuko laying next to her sleeping. The past month had been filled with missions in acquiring scrolls of power or tracking down the jinchuriki, but after the missions Selûne would find that either her room or Itachi's room would be empty as they spent the night with each other all the time. Mostly it was her room that would be empty, but there would be nights when Itachi came to her room and slept with her there. And the missions…Selûne felt a warm feeling come over her at the memories of missions with her and Itachi when they had made love countless times in a river when they had been bathing or when they would stay in an inn for the night. Their missions usually tired them out because they didn't sleep much, but it was to be expected of newly deflowered virgins; they had found something they just couldn't get enough of.

Lately though, Selûne had been feeling queasy and almost didn't want to leave her bed at all, but she had to because someone would come back from a mission with a particularly nasty wound and she would have to heal them. Itachi was on a mission that was in its fifth day and therefore didn't know how his young lover was feeling. Atsuko stirred next to her and at that moment Selûne was struck with an overwhelming feeling of nausea, jumping up from the bed and bolting for the bathroom. The spirit child frowned as she listened to her mistress retch and throw up her breakfast and lunch, her finger tapping thoughtfully against her chin. If her mistress didn't know what was wrong with her by now, she'd have to slap her; after all, mistress was one of the best medic nins alive next to Tsunade. Selûne came out of the bathroom after rinsing her mouth out with mouthwash, giving Atsuko 'the look'.

"_Well mistress…do you know what's going on now?"_

Selûne sighed heavily, placing her hand on her flat belly. "Yes…but I don't know what to do. We're only teenagers…"

"_Just tell him. I'm sure Itachi-san will be delighted to hear about the revival of the Uchiha clan."_

"Maybe…but this is Itachi we're talking about. The man who slaughtered his entire clan…what if he doesn't want it?" Selûne sat on the bed, staring sadly down at her lap. Atsuko took her hands in hers and gave her a small smile.

"_I think Itachi-san will be happy. Don't worry about it mistress."_

Selûne's lips curled up in a small smile. The moment hung in the air until it was shattered by a silver-haired Jashinist who happened to bang on the woman's door, the Amakura glaring at the door with murder in her eyes. She stood and yanked the door open, her swirling eyes meeting Hidan's pink eyes.

"Hey bitch, I need you to fix this-" the Jashinist stopped when he saw the look in her eyes. She was obviously not in a good mood and after calling her a bitch, Hidan had unknowingly dug his own grave. He turned tail and ran away from her room, the Amakura chasing after him.

* * *

As the Uchiha leapt from tree to tree with Kisame following him, his mind drifted to the heaven that awaited him when he got back to the base. Their mission had been a devastating success with information on the location of Orochimaru's new hideout, since Pain was itching to kill the snake for having tried to molest him back in the day when Orochimaru was still in Akatsuki. Itachi didn't care at all about that; all he cared about was the beautiful woman that would welcome him back with open arms and a sweet kiss.

For some reason, he wasn't really surprised when they approached the hideout and from behind the large boulder he could hear yelling and screaming at the same time. He heard Hidan's yell of anger before the boulder was suddenly thrown aside and Hidan's head went sailing out and over their heads.

"Hey fucktards!" he greeted before his head disappeared inside a bush. "Fuck, that hurt!"

Itachi turned back to the hideout entrance to see his lover walking across the water toward them, her blue eyes swirling with a mix of red, blue and gold.

'_Hidan must have pissed her off again…foolish immortal, when will you learn not to mess with her?'_

He went to greet her with a hug, but she sidestepped him and made her way to the bush where Hidan's head had gone, reaching in and yanking the Jashinist's head by the hair from where it lay. "Hey hey HEY! Easy on the hair, you fucking bitch! Do you know how much fucking work I put into it to make it look as sexy as it does now!?" The Amakura grinned evilly and began mussing up his hair so that it stuck up everywhere, completely ruining his hairstyle. "You fucking bitch! I'm going to sacrifice you to Jashin once I get my fucking head attached to my body again!"

"Like hell you will!" she said as she threw his head in the air and dropkicked it, watching it as it sailed into the trees and landed just beside a rather hungry raccoon, who grabbed his hair and dragged him back to its lair. The girl then turned to Itachi and Kisame, noticing the smirks that the two men were giving her. "What? He pissed me off again."

Itachi could only chuckle as he took his lover into his arms, pushing her head against his chest. As his arms went around her, Selûne breathed in his scent and immediately relaxed into his body, almost forgetting about what it was that she needed to talk to him about. Almost.

"Itachi, I need to talk to you about something…" she began, but the Uchiha had swept her up into his arms and taken off into the hideout, running through the hallways and to his room. The door was kicked open and shut once they were inside, Itachi practically throwing Selûne onto the bed.

"We'll talk later. It's been too long without you and I can't wait any longer," he said as he began working on shedding her clothes.

"Itachi, wait! I was sure that I was sick, even though I can't really get sick, but I haven't been feeling the best…" she trailed off when his mouth attached to her nipple, sucking hard at the pink peak as his hand removed her panties from her body.

"Sick?" Itachi stopped his ministrations and looked up at her, concern showing on his face. Selûne sighed softly and smiled up at him, trying to reassure him.

"I'm not sick, but-"

"Good…you had me worried there for a moment," he said as he moved down her body to lick at her core. Selûne bit her lip to stifle the moan that almost escaped her throat, closing her eyes when Itachi moved back up and ripped his trousers off. His hard member brushed against her entrance and she shuddered, suddenly longing to have him inside her. He grunted when he aligned himself and pushed inside her, sighing at the feeling of warm flesh surrounding him. Selûne's arms went around his neck as Itachi began to thrust into her, moaning softly as his member hit a bundle of nerves inside her. The Uchiha bit her neck gently as he moved in her, noting that she seemed softer than before. When they had made love in the past, she would wince when he pushed into her, obviously still not past his girth. Now she didn't…instead she readily accepted him without so much as a sound and right now, her cheeks were blushing pink as she neared her end.

"Itachi!" she screamed as she clamped down hard on him, his yell of rapture sounding in her ears as he released his seed into her. When he collapsed on top of her, she immediately pushed him to the side, dislodging him from inside her.

"Selûne? What's wrong?" he asked, propping himself up on his elbows to look down at her. The Amakura bit her lip, trying to figure out how to tell him her news.

"Itachi, I-"

"ABOUT TIME YOU FUCKERS SHUT UP!" Hidan yelled from outside the door. Selûne shot the door an evil look before burying her head in the pillow.

"How the hell did he get his head back on his body that quickly!?" she yelled into the pillow. Itachi rested his hand on her bare back and began rubbing it gently, smiling down at his hidden lover. She moved her head slightly so that one of her eyes were visible, looking up at him with trepidation. "Itachi, I need to tell you something."

"You can tell me anything koibito," he said as he drew her into his arms, resting her head underneath his chin. She curled herself into his body, listening to his heartbeat slow down and return to normal from their activities.

'_I'm scared of what his reaction will be…what if he doesn't want the child? What if he'll kill me to get rid of it…?'_

"_Just tell him."_

_Selûne's eyes widened when Otohime appeared before her, a smile on her shining face. The elder woman took the girl into her arms, a tear running down her cheek._

"_Your children will one day be saviors of the world much like you and your sister. Your youngest will walk Sasuke's path one day and your eldest will walk yours and Itachi's path. Don't be afraid to tell Itachi."_

"_We're both too young…" Selûne whispered, her eyes beginning to burn with tears. "Our lifestyle isn't exactly appropriate for raising a child…"_

"_When the time comes, you'll know what to do," Otohime said as she disappeared._

Selûne opened her eyes to look up at Itachi, his onyx eyes staring down at her with concern. It was now or never…

'_I hope you're right Otohime.'_

"Itachi…I'm pregnant."

A silence filled the room as Itachi and Selûne stared each other down, blue eyes against black. Itachi looked like Orochimaru had bitch slapped him with a dead fish; it was just that shocking. He opened his mouth as if to say something, then shut it again, seemingly speechless.

"I…I can understand if you don't want the child, but I'm going to have it," Selûne said, moving out of his arms and attempting to get up from the bed. Itachi's hand shot out and grabbed her arm, dragging her back into the bed. "Itachi, wha-" Her protest was cut off when Itachi pressed his lips to hers, his kiss soft and sweet.

"Selûne, that's the best news I've heard," he said, laying another kiss on her lips and nuzzling her throat.

"What're we going to do?" she asked, pulling away from him and looking up at him with sad eyes. "If Leader finds out, he might kill us."

"We're not going to do anything about it right now, okay? Leader might actually be pleased to hear about it because our bloodlines will be combined in our child, making it extremely powerful."

"I don't want him using our children in his plans! My children will walk their own path, not a path that someone else chooses for them against their will!" Selûne said, her expression becoming angry at the thought. Itachi tightened his grip on her, silently agreeing with her.

"I know…and I won't let anything happen to our children. I'll protect them with my life, as I'm sure you will as well. Besides…Sasuke might be happy to hear about the revival of the Uchiha clan," he said, nuzzling her hair. "This is a happy moment…the happiest moment of my life."

Selûne smiled up at him as he brushed the backs of his fingers against her cheek, leaning in to kiss him gently. The two lovers cuddled into each other just kissing and holding each other, ecstatic over the conception of their child.

* * *

In Orochimaru's lair, Daisuke felt the chakra signature of his mistress mixed with that of another much weaker chakra. A shiver ran through his incorporeal body, alerting Sasuke to his feelings.

"What's wrong now?"

"_If you're going to freak out about it, then I won't tell you. You've been going overboard whenever I tell you something about mistress and ever since you attacked her guardian spirit, I've been wary of your actions lately. Telling you what's wrong now will probably drive you into a rage and you won't stop at hunting either mistress or your brother."_

"Just fucking tell me!"

"_Promise you won't do anything rash then?"_

"Fine I won't, now tell me."

Daisuke sighed, knowing he was going to probably regret telling him about what was going on with his mistress. _"Mistress Selûne is pregnant."_

Sasuke was silent for a moment, taking in his spirit's words. Surprisingly Sasuke did not blow up in anger…he just sat there.

"_Sasuke…are you okay?"_

"Selûne is pregnant? With Itachi's child?" he said almost in a daze. The spirit child nodded almost imperceptibly, but Sasuke caught it. "Itachi is reviving the Uchiha clan this way, so it just might be a good thing he has done for once in his sorry life."

Daisuke had to resist the urge to slap himself. His host…the king of the assholes and emo-ness…was actually okay with this!? Was he in a different dimension now where Sasuke Uchiha was actually understanding?

"It's not a big deal. I'll use her children in my own plans and when she has given birth to the children, that is when I will take her for my own," Sasuke said, rubbing his chin with his hand. Daisuke sighed; he was taking what he said earlier back now a million times over.

* * *

Itachi and Selûne lay in Itachi's bed cuddling together, the Uchiha's hand resting on her stomach. He could feel the faint chakra signature coming from inside her womb and he smiled, moving his head so that it rested on her flat belly. "What're we going to name our baby if it's a girl?" he asked, looking up at her.

"Well…if it's a girl, I was thinking of Aika, since she was made from love and she will be loved unconditionally," Selûne said, placing her hand on Itachi's head and running her fingers through his black hair.

"If it's a boy?"

"Shin'ichi…because he would be our first son," she said. "Or maybe Fugaku after your father."

"Maybe we can name our second son Fugaku," he said, caressing her belly with the tips of his fingers.

"You know, I was worried that you wouldn't be happy about having a child considering our lifestyle, but now…seeing as how happy you are knowing about this, it made me feel better," she said, her eyes beginning to water. "I feel happy knowing that I'm going to be a mother, especially to your children."

"A combination of the Uchiha and Amakura clans will produce strong children," he said, pressing a kiss to her stomach. "I guess now is a good time to tell you about what my father told me before he died." When Selûne tilted her head slightly at him, he continued. "My father told me that our families agreed to an arranged marriage between us so that we could bring the two clans together in an alliance. When you left for five years and I killed the clan, I thought that I wouldn't have been able to carry out my father's wishes, but now that this has happened…Selûne, nothing would make me happier than making you my wife."

Selûne was silent for a moment, looking down into Itachi's black eyes. He felt a tinge of worry go through him at her silence, thinking that she wasn't going to accept his proposal, but that flew out the window when she pulled him up to her face and kissed him gently, caressing his cheek with her fingers.

"Itachi, I will…even though our parents arranged this marriage between us, we will be happy with it because we love each other. I think…I think I've loved you ever since I saw you; I just couldn't say anything back then because you were always so busy with ANBU."

"I'll be there for you and our children koibito. I promise," he said, kissing her again. "Aishiteru…"

"Aishiteru Itachi," she said, hugging him tightly to her. As they drifted off into sleep Itachi's hand came to rest on her belly once more, as if to protect his unborn child.


	34. A Marriage Gone Wrong

_**Oh joy, I finally got the new chapter up! It took me a while, but dammit I did it! **_

_**ShadowBloodNinja- Yours once more. I finally got it up and I don't have to write for another few days so I'm going to go back to watching Hannibal some more :D have fuuuuuuuuuun  
**_

_**Oh and FUUUUUU for thinking of an AU story for this one! That pisses me off to no extent!  
**_

_**ENJOYYYY!**_

* * *

Tsunade was sleeping in her office with her head on her desk drooling all over the paperwork when Atsuko appeared, the little spirit's eyebrow lifting slightly when she saw this. And to think that her mistress' teacher was so damn lazy!

"_Hello? Tsunade-sama? Helloooooooo?"_

The woman didn't stir, so the little girl walked tentatively up to her and began poking her. Tsunade flinched momentarily before relaxing again, her snores nearly deafening to the child.

'_So damn lazy!'_

"_Tsunade-sama, wake up!" _she screamed. The Hokage shot up from the desk, her eyes bloodshot and her face contorted in an expression of anger.

"What the fuck!?" Tsunade threw a punch at Atsuko, but the attack went right through her and bathed the Sannin's hand in icy cold air. Tsunade stared at the spirit for a moment before slapping herself across the face and looking back at her. "You're really here…you must be from Selûne. How is she doing? She said she was going to be back a month ago and she's not here. Where is she?"

Atsuko reeled back from the slew of questions that burst from the Sannin in quick succession, her head spinning. As she steadied herself, she grasped the edge of the desk and lifted herself up onto it, looking Tsunade straight in the face. _"Mistress Selûne did send me because she needs you for something. Something very, very important."_

Tsunade folded her arms and stared expectantly at Atsuko, who remained silent for a dramatic effect. When a few minutes had gone by, Tsunade gave her a questioning/irritated look. "Well? What does she need?"

Atsuko took a deep breath before speaking. _"Mistress needs you to marry her and Itachi-san…she's pregnant with his child."_

Tsunade sat there in stunned shock, allowing this information to sink in. Atsuko poked her in the arm, worried when the woman didn't move from her position in her chair. _"Tsunade-sama?"_

"Is…is she serious!? Why would she get married to him of all people!? He's a damn S-ranked criminal for fuck's sake!" Atsuko covered her ears. "Why is she getting married to him?"

"_Well I don't know if you were around when this was arranged, but the families of both Mistress and Itachi-san agreed to an arranged marriage between them. They are simply following the wishes of their families as well as uniting the clans and reviving both the Amakura and the Uchiha clan."_

"But this is wrong…she's a law-abiding kunoichi, not a criminal. I mean…with this information brought to light, I can understand why she would marry him-"

"_She loves him and he loves her."_

There was a long silence before Tsunade broke it, her tone incredulous. "Never thought that someone like Itachi Uchiha was capable of love…so what specifically does she want me to do?" Tsunade sat back in her chair and began chewing at her nail, staring down the little spirit.

"_She wants you to be the one to marry them. Because you are Hokage, you have the power to make them husband and wife and you are also the one person she trusts the most to perform this. Please Tsunade-sama…she needs this!"_

Tsunade sat there for a moment, still chewing her nail thoughtfully as she processed Atsuko's plea. Finally she sighed and held her head in her hands. "Alright, but we're going to have to do it outside of Konoha. I'll make it easy for Itachi…tell them to meet me at the Uchiha hideout at 7PM tonight. I'll make their union official."

"_Thank you Tsunade-sama! Mistress will be so happy to hear of this! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" _The child jumped up and hugged the Sannin's waist, Tsunade flinching slightly at the cold sensation that coursed through her. Atsuko smiled up at her and disappeared into thin air to tell her mistress about the news, unaware of what Tsunade was going to do.

* * *

In Tsunade's office, Kakashi and Asuma stood before the Hokage's desk after she had just given a briefing for their mission: capture Itachi and Selûne.

"Now, we're going to need all the manpower we have in order to be able to capture Itachi and also be able to restrain Selûne because I know she won't give up without a fight. Kakashi, I want you to take on Itachi and Asuma, you and I will take care of Selûne. We know she's one of the most powerful shinobi of our time and we need to be extremely careful around her; either that or there's no doubt in my mind that she will kill us without a second thought if we don't restrain her."

Kakashi rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Wouldn't it make sense if we have you deal with her, Lady Hokage? You are her teacher and relative after all and you have the most influence over her, which makes me think that you will be able to distract her long enough for us to capture Itachi."

"Itachi alone would need to be taken down by two extremely strong shinobi," Asuma interjected. "If we can somehow separate them and take them on one at a time, it will be so much easier to be able to capture both of them. What we should do is once Lady Hokage finishes with the marriage rites, Kakashi and I will spirit Selûne away. Because of her current condition, she won't be able to put up much of a fight or she will risk injury to her child. Take her out first, use Itachi's weakness against him and we will have him in our clutches."

Tsunade thought about this for a moment before nodding, leaning back in her chair. "I think that's the first good idea I've ever heard from you, Asuma. Using Selûne to get to Itachi may be a bit low, but it's the best shot we've got. Alright then, here's the plan. As soon as I finish their marriage, Asuma and I will take Selûne away while Kakashi distracts Itachi. Once we incapacitate Selûne, Asuma and I will come back and aid you with Itachi. Three people against him…he won't be able to stand up against all of us, but what do we know about him and his abilities?"

"Obviously he possesses the Mangekyou Sharingan which grants him immense visual prowess with his Tsukuyomi, but this comes with a downside as well; every time he uses his Mangekyou, his eyesight deteriorates," Kakashi explained. "He also uses Fire Style jutsu and is extremely fast, so he's going to be a tough opponent. Because there are three of us, all we have to do is distract him with two of us in front of him so that one of us can sneak behind him and attack him from his weak spot."

"That could work, now what do we know about Selûne?"

"She uses a Wind Style jutsu as well as her spirits," Asuma said. "I've seen her use the same raw strength that you have, Lady Hokage, so that might be something we need to worry about. Her Kekkei Genkai may be a problem as well-"

"Just don't look in her eyes when they change color and you'll be fine," Tsunade interjected. "What else?"

"Well…" Asuma paused for a moment to think, apparently a moment too long for Tsunade.

"Obviously since Selûne is pregnant, she can't put up a fight or she'll risk losing her child. Also in terms of her abilities, she has Miyako Amakura's spirit inside her which grants her immense power. I've seen a display of this power before; anything that puts her loved ones in danger will cause her to lose control and let Miyako take control of her body. We can't let that happen or else she will completely eliminate us."

"Miyako does create a problem for us, but if we work fast, we can seal her firmly in Selûne's mind so that Miyako cannot emerge when Selûne becomes angry," Kakashi said. "The Evil Sealing Jutsu just might be able to seal her away."

"Well then…it's worth a shot. Might as well get going now," Tsunade said, rising from her chair and walking past the two jounin. "Let's go."

* * *

It was 5PM when Itachi and Selûne had set out from the Akatsuki hideout to the Uchiha hideout hand in hand, followed closely by Okami and Atsuko. The little spirit had returned only about an hour ago to inform them of Tsunade's decision, which had left the couple ecstatic that the Hokage had granted their request. Itachi was still dressed in his Akatsuki cloak while Selûne wore a pure white kimono with red cherry blossoms and the silver ring around her neck. When she had given him a look concerning his wardrobe, he merely shrugged and told her it would be coming off anyway, so what was the point in changing? Her response had been to roll her eyes and his way of making her forget about it was a deep kiss that left her speechless. Now…now they were walking through the forest. When the base was out of sight, Itachi picked Selûne up on his back and set off through the trees at a fast pace.

'_At this rate, we'll probably beat Tsunade-sensei there, but I can't wait. In less than 2 hours, Itachi and I will be married and our child will have their parents. I couldn't be happier…'_

Selûne turned her head so that her face was buried in Itachi's hair, inhaling his masculine scent and relaxing more into his body. She felt Itachi's body relaxing slightly and his head turning to look at her, a smile on his lips. She moved her head so that she could look him in the eyes, her own smile touching her lips.

"I can't believe we're going to be married soon," she said, resting her chin on his shoulder and keeping her eyes on his.

"Well you'd better believe it. Once we go through with this, I am not letting you out of my sight until the baby is born," he said. "Now that I have you and the baby, I'm not going to let you get hurt."

"I love you Itachi," she murmured, once again burying her face in his hair. Itachi merely smiled and turned his attention back to traveling as the Amakura closed her eyes.

'_I'll be so happy when Tsunade-sensei performs the marriage!'_

"_Oh knock it off!"_ Miyako screamed in her mind. _"Stop being all gooey and fuzzy inside about this! It's just a ceremony where you officially become united; it's no different from the union you two already have!"_

'_Are you mad because you and Madara were never officially married?'_

"_Why would I be? Madara and I were perfectly happy with our relationship so it didn't matter if we were married or not. So stop being all gushy about your stupid marriage and get over it!"_

'_Shut it bitch!'_

"_Bring it on, you little whore!"_

'_Oh that is it!'_

For the rest of the travel, Selûne and Miyako had a catfight in her mind…

* * *

It was now 6:45PM and Tsunade was sitting on the throne in the meeting place of the Uchiha hideout waiting for Itachi and Selûne to show up. Kakashi and Asuma were hidden in the shadows with their chakra masked so that neither of the two could sense the jounin, ready to attack when Tsunade gave the signal. The Hokage tapped her foot impatiently against the throne, feeling annoyance as the minutes ticked by.

'_You'd think for someone like Itachi Uchiha, he would be here early just to get it over with…guess I was wrong.'_

Footsteps echoed in the hallway, announcing the arrival of Itachi and Selûne. Kakashi and Asuma stiffened, masking their chakra even more to avoid detection as Tsunade stood from the throne. The couple turned the corner and stepped into the meeting area, stopping momentarily when they saw Tsunade standing before the throne. Tsunade watched as Itachi bent over and whispered something in Selûne's ear, the girl nodding to whatever he was saying. They made their way forward until they stood before the Hokage, the candlelight casting shadows over their faces.

"Tsunade-sensei, we're ready."

Tsunade folded her arms over her chest and set her face in a neutral expression. "Very well. Turn to each other and take each other's hands."

As the Uchiha and Amakura turned to each other, Itachi smiled down at his soon to be wife as he took her hands in his, his thumb rubbing along the soft skin of her hand. Tsunade watched as the girl blushed deeply, her eyes shining with love for the Uchiha. It genuinely shocked her that Itachi Uchiha was smiling at Selûne like that, like he had nothing but the utmost love for her. It was interesting that for someone who murdered his whole clan, he could be so gentle and caring toward one person. Tsunade cleared her throat, drawing their attention.

"We're going to need witnesses…"

Selûne's hand flicked and four spirits appeared; Atsuko, Masumi, Chihiro (a female geisha) and Hiroshi (the spirit of a ninja from Kirigakure).

"That works…" Tsunade mused. "Alright then. Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today for holy matrimony between these two lovers, Itachi Uchiha and Selûne Amakura. If anyone objects to these two being married, which I don't think will happen, speak now or forever hold thy peace."

Tsunade stopped to look around the room, making sure that no one would say anything about it. When no one spoke up, she continued.

"Do you, Itachi Uchiha, take Selûne Amakura to be your lawfully wedded wife? Do you promise to love and cherish this woman, to love her through sickness and health? And to love and honor her til death do you part?"

Itachi stared deep into Selûne's eyes before speaking. "I do."

"And do you, Selûne Amakura, take Itachi Uchiha to be your lawfully wedded husband? Do you promise to love and cherish him, to love him through sickness and health? And to love and honor him til death do you part?"

"I do," Selûne whispered, her voice almost unintelligible.

"If you have any vows that you wish to say to each other, say them now," Tsunade said.

Itachi leaned in closer to Selûne, resting his forehead against hers and closing his eyes. "Selûne…I, Itachi Uchiha, take you to be my wife, my faithful partner in life, my constant friend and my one true love. I promise to love you without reservation, in sickness and in health, in plenty and in want, to stand together in our times of joy and sorrow, always to be open and honest with you for as long as we both shall live."

Selûne smiled and inhaled his masculine scent, relaxing into him. "Itachi, I want you to be my husband. I promise to give you the best of myself and to ask of you no more than you can give. I promise to respect you as your own person and to realize that your interests, needs and desires are no less important than my own. I promise to share with you my time and attention and to bring joy, strength and imagination to our relationship. I promise to keep myself open to you, to let you see through the windows of my world into my innermost fears and feelings, secrets and dreams. I promise to grow along with you, to be willing to face changes as we both change in order to keep our relationship alive and exciting. I promise to love you in good times and in bad, with all I have to give and all I feel inside, in the only way I know how…completely and forever."

"I assume you two have rings?" Tsunade said, placing her hands on her hips. Selûne's hand came up to the silver ring around her neck as Itachi's hand disappeared into the folds of his Akatsuki cloak. She unclasped the necklace and slipped the ring off the chain as Itachi drew a simple gold ring out of his cloak.

"Exchange rings."

Selûne took Itachi's left hand and slid the ring onto his ring finger as Itachi slipped the gold ring onto her left ring finger. Tsunade sighed heavily, slapping her hand against her forehead.

"By the power invested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

She turned away from them as Itachi took Selûne into his arms, kissing her gently. Tsunade brought her hand to her face and pulled her eyelid down, giving the signal to attack the newly married couple. Kakashi and Asuma leaped out of the shadows, their chakra flaring. Itachi and Selûne jumped apart in surprise as Asuma grabbed Selûne by the waist and Kakashi stood in Itachi's way.

"Itachi!" Selûne yelled as Asuma began to drag her away. Itachi's expression was dark as he watched the jounin drag his wife away from him, but was unable to do anything because of the other jounin blocking his way.

"Let her go now and you won't have to die," he said, his voice deadly soft. Tsunade walked toward the Amakura and Asuma, turning to face Itachi. "I apologize for this, Selûne, but it is for the best."

"The best for what!? Why are you doing this!?" Selûne screamed, struggling mightily to escape Asuma's grip to no avail. Even though she was strong, Asuma was a big man and he was much stronger than her.

"We need Itachi in order to get intel on the Akatsuki's plans and this opportunity was way too good to pass up. You are his one weakness, one that he will do anything to keep you safe. I must thank you for bringing him to us, Selûne," Tsunade said, her eyes hard. It was killing her inside to see the heartbreaking look on her cousin's face, but it was for the good of the village. Selûne's eyes were hidden by her bangs, her entire form trembling.

"I don't believe this…why, Tsunade-sensei? The Tsunade I know wouldn't do this! I hate you!" she screamed, struggling hard against her captor. Her eyes slowly began to turn red, a sign of her losing control to the malevolent spirit inside her.

"Asuma! Get her out of here quickly! We need to seal Miyako before she can emerge!"

"On it," Asuma said as he dragged Selûne out of the room and into a different chamber of the Uchiha hideout, Tsunade following. Itachi scowled angrily at Kakashi when they were alone.

"So…you aren't happy with just wanting to kill me. You also have to capture my wife and I on the happiest day of our lives and torture us. If you so much as hurt one hair on her head, I will kill you and the others without so much as a single thought!" Itachi growled.

Kakashi didn't say anything, knowing that Itachi would make good on his threat. He shifted his headband so that his Sharingan eye was visible since he knew he would have to use it in order to even stand a chance against the Uchiha. It was then that a piercing scream rent the air. Asuma and Tsunade were performing the Evil Sealing Jutsu to seal Miyako within Selûne's mind. Itachi's eyes widened slightly and he activated his Mangekyou Sharingan, catching Kakashi in his Tsukuyomi and incapacitating the copy ninja.

In the adjacent chamber, Tsunade and Asuma had Selûne bound to the floor as Tsunade performed the sealing. Selûne's screams of agony pierced Tsunade's heart, but she managed to block it out by telling herself it was for the village. Her body was arched in an inhuman position almost to the point that if she bent it any further, her spine would snap in half. When the last kanji had arranged itself so that it settled around the diamond tattooed on her forehead, the Amakura slumped to the ground completely exhausted.

"It's done…" Tsunade breathed, backing up until her back hit the wall and sagging to the ground. "Miyako is not a danger to us now."

"Yeah, but I think he is…" Asuma said as he pointed toward the doorway where a furious Uchiha stood.

"Oh shit…" Tsunade said out loud, standing up slowly and facing Itachi. "I see you've made quick work of Kakashi, so now I assume you will finish us off as well?"

"I won't hurt you unless you give me my wife back," Itachi said quietly, his Mangekyou Sharingan glowing in the dim light.

"We'll give her back to you on one condition," Tsunade said. "You come with us to Konoha and give us information about Akatsuki's plans."

"No."

"Is Akatsuki really more important to you than your own wife?" Tsunade said, her eyes disbelieving now. "You love her very much, yet you won't give out any of Akatsuki's secrets?"

Itachi's eyes changed from the Mangekyou to their natural onyx color, his eyes sad. "I love her. Just…please give her back to me."

Tsunade almost gave in to him, but remembered her devotion to the village. "I need you to come with us or else she will be killed."

Almost instantly the Mangekyou Sharingan reappeared. "Don't you dare!"

Tsunade motioned to Asuma, who unwillingly drew his blades and brought it to Selûne's throat. The Uchiha seemed to panic, drawing a kunai and preparing to throw it, but Asuma pressed the blade closer to her throat. A small trickle of blood ran down her neck, which set Itachi in action. He made hand signs and sent a giant fireball toward the Konoha shinobi, causing him to jump away from the unconscious Amakura. In that instant, Itachi dashed forward and snatched Selûne up, getting her away from the reach of both Tsunade and Asuma.

"If you don't mind Lady Hokage, my wife and I will be taking our leave," he hissed as he ran out of the chamber, leaving Tsunade and Asuma alone. Tsunade glanced over at the jounin, leaning her head into her hand.

"Well…I guess that didn't go too well, don't you think?"

* * *

Itachi collapsed nearly six miles away from the Uchiha hideout, holding his brand new wife in his arms as he began to sob. She hadn't woken up ever since they had performed the sealing on her, which made him think that they had possibly put her into a coma. Doing this would harm their child, so he would have to do everything he could to break the seal on her mind.

"Selûne…koi? Wake up please…please wake up! Please…" His fingers moved to the seal around the diamond as he brought his other hand up in a sign, his fingers tracing the kanji delicately. The black began to glow red as the seal began to release, Itachi's Sharingan memorizing every curve of the kanji. When the last kanji had been traced, the seal released and the kanji disappeared from her forehead. Selûne's back arched, her mouth opening in a soundless scream as the kanji burned her before it disappeared. Itachi held her to him, tears running down his cheeks as he buried his face in her throat.

"Stay with me koibito…please."

Her eyes fluttered once before opening and settling on him, a small smile lifting the corners of her mouth. "Itachi…"

He jerked his head up to look at her, relief written all over his face. "Selûne…you're okay. Thank Kami…"

She smiled at him once more before falling unconscious again, exhausted by the entire ordeal. He buried his face in her throat again, chuckling softly. "I guess this is some wedding night, huh?" he said, kissing her throat. "Let's go home."


	35. Revival of the Uchiha Clan

_**Dammit...finally got the new chapter up. Anyway, I was thinking about who I would want Selûne's voice to be and I finally came up with it a few days ago. For her Japanese voice, it would be Kikuko Inoue and for her English voice, Bridget Hoffman. Both voice actresses played Belldandy and I loved their voices, so I'm sticking with them!**_

_**ShadowBloodNinja- The chapter you have been waiting for! DUN DUN DUNNNNN! We finally find out if it's a boy or girl! Hope you likey ^_^  
**_

_**And now...for the votes of who the lucky Uchiha will be...*dramatic drumroll*  
**_

_**Itachi-9  
**_

_**Sasuke-8  
**_

_***le gasp* Sasuke isn't too far behind! Some fans have thought of sending their opinions in a PM, but a vote is a vote! If Sasuke wins, this story will take a dramatic turn *cue collective gasp*! Enjoy and keep the votes coming!**_

* * *

It had been several months since their marriage and Itachi was being run ragged. His wife was becoming more hormonal with every month that passed and soon they were having sex almost every day, almost reaching about 4 or 5 times a day. Let's just say his masculinity was taking a big hit to his ego. The other thing was that Selûne had gotten a lot bigger than he had expected for just a single child, which made Itachi suspect that they just might be having twins or triplets. When this thought struck him, he had almost fainted, which would have been embarrassing because he happened to have been right in the middle of an Akatsuki meeting when it came to him. He had swayed in his spot however, which had prompted a suspicious look from Pain and a concerned glance from Kisame. Deidara was already pissed at the Uchiha for having married and impregnated the Amakura when he had wanted her for himself, so he made it his mission to try to blow Itachi up every chance he could get. As if forcing him to join Akatsuki wasn't bad enough…

Itachi watched his young wife sleep soundly in their bed, a small smile curving his lips as he brushed a few stray strands of hair away from her face. The chakra signature from their child radiated powerfully from within her, giving the Uchiha peace of mind knowing that his children would be powerful when they grew up. He lay back against the pillows and wrapped his arm around her, his hand resting on her distended belly. She still slept peacefully, but she curled more into Itachi, a soft sigh of content escaping her lips. For the past six months, Selûne had been eating and sleeping like crazy, much like his own mother had done when she had been pregnant with Sasuke. She had to wear some of Kisame's old clothing since her clothes had gotten too small due to the pregnancy, which had not flattered her at all, but it didn't matter to anyone. The worst thing they could ever do in their lifetime was insult a pregnant woman on how she looks. Unfortunately that had happened about three weeks ago when Hidan, being the idiot that he was, told Selûne that she looked like a beached whale. Itachi remembered all too well what had happened which ended with Hidan getting his man parts chopped off.

_Selûne had been laying on the couch in the living room watching television with her head on Itachi's lap when Hidan and Kakuzu came walking in from a mission. Hidan took one look at the Amakura and said the words that would end his existence. "Holy shit, it's a fucking beached whale!"_

_Selûne's reaction was instantaneous. In one motion, she had one hand around Hidan's neck and a kunai near his crotch. "Wrong words, asshole." The kunai flashed and Hidan squealed like a little girl when his privates lay on the ground, blood gushing from his crotch. _

"_That's what you get for saying that, you idiot," Kakuzu said as he walked out of the room. "I'm not fixing it for you because then you'd just call me gay."_

"_Fuck…you…Kakuzu…" Hidan gasped out before collapsing to the ground unconscious. Itachi glanced casually over at the unconscious immortal and grunted before turning back to the television, Selûne already settled back on his lap._

Even though Itachi had pretended to not care about what had happened to Hidan, he had inwardly winced. Just seeing the man get his penis torn off made Itachi's privates hurt. Selûne may appear sweet and kind, but could be a real hellcat when someone pissed her off enough. He may not have suffered through most of her temper tantrums, but the few that he _had _been through left some pretty embarrassing scars.

Itachi broke from his thoughts when a small groan came from the woman next to him and her hand covered his over her stomach. The groan increased in volume until she was almost yelling, her hand tightening over his painfully.

"Selûne, are you okay? What's wrong?" he asked worriedly, turning her over so that she lay on her back. Her eyes were shut tightly as her legs rubbed together, her hand clenched over her belly. It was then that Itachi felt something wet against his leg, so he looked down and saw that the sheets were drenched in a fluid that hadn't stained the sheets, originating from between her legs. "Oh Kami…the baby's coming isn't it!?"

Selûne couldn't respond because she was breathing heavily, trying to keep herself calm as the contractions sent shocks of pain through her body. "I'll get Konan!" Itachi said as he ran out of the room, leaving his wife alone in there.

"ITACHI YOU BASTARD! GET YOUR ASS BACK IN HERE BEFORE I RIP YOU TO PIECES!" she screamed. In the living room of the hideout, a collective shudder went through the members of Akatsuki. From the sound of the Amakura screaming, it meant that Itachi was a dead man. "YOU ARE SO FUCKING DEAD, YOU HEAR ME!? OH GOD!"

"JASHIN!" Hidan screamed back. The room was quiet for a moment before she answered back.

"FUCK YOU HIDAN!"

"Obviously she's not going to calm down, so I volunteer Hidan to be the one we throw to her un," Deidara said, earning a death glare from the Jashinist.

"I second that," Kisame said.

"I would pay for that," Kakuzu said, rubbing his precious money against his cheek.

"Fuck you Kakuzu!" Hidan yelled, flipping him off.

"Either him or Tobi," Sasori said, looking over at the orange masked man.

"How about both un?"

"Deal."

Kakuzu grabbed Hidan while Kisame grabbed Tobi and dragged them to the Uchiha's room, the rest of them following after them to watch the show.

"You fucker, let me go right now! I will sacrifice you to Jashin if you throw me in there with that beached whale!" Hidan yelled loudly enough for Selûne to hear.

"BEACHED WHALE!? I'LL FUCKING SHOW YOU BEACHED WHALE!" she screamed as the door opened and Hidan and Tobi were thrown in. Tobi scrambled up as soon as the door closed and began banging on it, pleading with the other Akatsuki members to spare him from the Amakura's wrath. It was already too late for Hidan. Tobi watched in horror as Selûne grabbed Hidan by the head and tore it from his body, the Jashinist howling in pain.

From outside the door, all they could hear was a lot of banging, screaming and what sounded like an elephant trumpeting. After five minutes it became very quiet…

"Think she finally killed them un?"

"Let's check…" Sasori said as they slowly inched the door open. Kisame's jaw hit the ground when he saw the destruction.

"Itachi is going to have a fit when he sees this…" he said, noting the blood splattered all over the bed and walls as well as small pieces of Hidan lying everywhere. Somehow the giant mutated spider had gotten back into the hideout and was now wrapping Tobi up once more…and this time, it would get its meal.

"At least we'll get rid of Tobi now un," Deidara said, an evil smirk plastered on his face. It was then that Selûne noticed them.

"YOU FUCKERS! FIND ITACHI AND BRING HIM HER-"

"Koibito, I'm back with Konan." Itachi came running back into the room followed by the blue haired kunoichi. Kakuzu grabbed Hidan's body parts and dashed out of the room.

"WHAT TOOK YOU SO FUCKING LONG!?" Selûne screamed when a particularly painful contraction came on. Itachi took his place by her side as Konan took a sheet and laid it over the lower half of her body. The giant mutated spider casually picked the cocooned Tobi up onto its back and scuttled out of the room, not wanting to be near the Amakura when she was currently in a murderous state.

"Selûne, I need you to spread your legs and bend your knees upward. We're going to bring your baby into the world," Konan said, propping Selûne's bottom up with pillows. The Amakura only yelled when her contractions began to increase. Deidara and Kisame scooted closer to try to get a better look under the sheet, but a glare from Itachi stopped them in their tracks as well as Konan pushing them out of the room. Another cry of pain came from the Amakura and Konan went back to assist her.

"I think it's coming!" Konan yelled as she positioned herself between Selûne's legs and kept her eyes on her vagina. "Okay Selûne, I need you to push as hard as you can."

Itachi watched as his wife's face flushed red as she began pushing, her abdominal muscles tightening from the strain. Her light brown hair clung to her sweaty face. "DAMN IT!" she screamed, her hand finding Itachi's and squeezing it with a death grip, the Uchiha wincing at the tight grip. "I'm going to kill you, Uchiha! When this is over -AH!- I'm going to shove my foot so far up your ass -OHH- you'll be tasting my feet for a month!"

"I love my wife…I love my wife…I love my wife…" Itachi repeated, hoping that it would lessen the pain of her grip to no avail. The Amakura screamed when she pushed once more and Konan gave a cry of triumph.

"MOTHERFUCKER! IT HURTS SO BAD!"

"I can see the head!"

"Really?" Itachi managed to pry his hand out of Selûne's and walked over to Konan, looking under the sheet. When he saw the head of the child sticking out of Selûne's vagina, he went white and fainted to the ground with a loud crash. Selûne's cries stopped for a moment as she looked down at her unconscious husband, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS!?" she screamed as she pushed once more, Konan's hands helping her along. Her hands fisted in the sheets as the pain coursed through her. "HE'S SUCH A PUSSY!"

"You're almost done Selûne! Just a few more pushes and you'll have your first child!" Konan said.

Selûne took a deep breath and pushed with all her might.

* * *

In Orochimaru's lair, the feeling of pain that coursed through Daisuke also radiated through Sasuke, nearly crippling the Uchiha when he was trying to train.

"W-what's going on? Where is this pain coming from?"

Daisuke bit his lip as he focused on his mistress. She had just given birth to her first child, but she wasn't done yet…she was having twins!

"_It seems you are feeling Mistress Selûne's birth pains. She's just had the first child and is now giving birth to the second."_

"She…she's having twins…?" Sasuke's voice was in awe as the words sank in. "It looks like Itachi has done something good after all…"

Daisuke knew better when Sasuke was being like this. He may sound understanding, but then he would turn around and completely change it up by incorporating it into one of his plots to kill Itachi and/or scar him mentally. He just sighed and kept quiet for about a few minutes, gritting his teeth against the searing pain that kept coursing throughout his body until suddenly it stopped. The last wave lingered for a moment before disappearing, bringing sweet, sweet relief from the ordeal.

'_The children are born…'_

* * *

Selûne breathed heavily as she finally pushed out her second and last baby, sweat matting her hair to her face. A shrill cry from her second child made her eyes widen with awe, tears welling up before gently slipping down her cheek. Itachi was still unconscious from fainting when he saw the child's head sticking out of his wife's vagina.

"Two healthy children, Selûne. One boy and one girl," Konan said as she brought her babies over to her so that she could see them. Selûne smiled despite the lingering pain, her eyes nearly overflowing with tears.

Her daughter was beautiful with her mother's eyes and a tuft of black hair on her head while her son had his father's eyes and hair. Both babies were crying in Konan's arms, but when they were placed in Selûne's arms, they quieted. Her daughter looked up at her with wide blue eyes as she tried to reach for a strand of her mother's hair, her son merely staring up at his mother.

"Aika…" she murmured to her daughter, who had successfully snagged a thick strand of hair and was now pulling on it gently. Selûne looked over at her son, who gurgled happily when his mother's attention was now focused on him. "Shin'ichi…" she whispered, kissing the baby's forehead softly. Shin'ichi cooed up at his mother, reaching for her with his chubby arms. She smiled and leaned down, allowing him to place his tiny hands on her cheeks. Aika squealed with happiness as she grabbed more of Selûne's hair, tugging hard on the damp strands. The Amakura chuckled as she leaned more into Aika, the baby girl gurgling happily as she automatically put a strand into her mouth and began sucking on it.

"No Aika," Selûne said as she gently tugged her hair out of Aika's mouth. The baby pouted, spitting bubbles at her mother. Shin'ichi stuck his thumb in his mouth and began sucking on it, staring at his twin sister. It was then that Itachi began to regain consciousness.

"Uhhh…what happened?" he mumbled, holding his head when a massive headache began to hit him. He remembered Konan saying she could see the baby's head, him going over to look and seeing the head of the child sticking out of his wife. A wave of nausea almost overcame him, but it abruptly disappeared when he saw his wife laying in the bed holding two bundles. Twins!

He watched with a swelling heart as his beautiful wife smiled and cooed to the babies, one of them reaching up to grasp a strand of her hair. When he sat up, she looked up at him with a smile. "Would you like to see your children?"

He stood slowly and walked over to the bed, sitting on the side just behind her so that he could see the faces of the babies. Both children had black hair, but one of them had his eyes and the other had Selûne's eyes.

"This is Aika, your daughter," Selûne said, gesturing to the baby with blue eyes. "And Shin'ichi…your son." The baby with the black eyes was looking curiously up at his father.

"Can I?" Itachi didn't have to finish his question. Selûne shifted so that Aika lay in her lap as she handed Shin'ichi over to Itachi. The Uchiha stared down at what had pretty much been himself when he had been a baby. Shin'ichi stared up at his father with wide black eyes before he smiled up at him, cooing happily as he reached for Itachi with his chubby arms. Itachi felt a smile spread across his face as he brought a finger close to Shin'ichi's face, the baby grasping his finger tightly in his tiny hand. He marveled at how strong his son was already. Instinctively, he knew that Shin'ichi would grow up to be an extremely powerful shinobi. He looked over at Selûne as she whispered quietly to their daughter, smiling as the baby's wide blue eyes crinkled into a smile.

"How are you feeling, Selûne?" he asked, taking her hand in his. The Amakura smiled up at him as she cradled Aika to her chest, weariness apparent in her features.

"I'm alright, just a little weak," she admitted, looking back at Aika. The baby girl was slowly drifting to sleep, her blue eyes drooping slightly. Selûne smiled down at her and began singing a lullaby to her.

"Ikusen no hoshi wa

Imi wo nashinagara

Yuukyuu no toki wo shizuka ni tsumugu

Sora wa kataranai

Uso mo shinjitsu mo

Tada kanata kara mitsumete iru…"

Aika's eyes closed and she slept, her little chest rising and falling gently. Shin'ichi had also fallen asleep, his thumb stuck in his mouth. Itachi smiled down at his son before joining Selûne on the bed, reaching out with his finger and gently stroking Aika's chubby cheek. The baby's nose scrunched up slightly and her hand came up to bat at his finger, her eyes remaining closed. Both Itachi and Selûne laughed softly at their daughter's antics before looking at each other. The Uchiha leaned in and kissed his wife lovingly, pulling away to rest his forehead on hers.

"Thank you…" he whispered. "Thank you for giving me a family…"

* * *

_**Name of the song Selûne sings to Aika is Sora Wa Kataranai by Kikuko Inoue. :D**_


	36. The Sealing of Miyako

_**Took me a while, but I finally got the next chapter up! Even with the birth of the twins, life just cannot seem to get any easier for Itachi and Selûne. Especially since the children are now their weakness! D:**_

_**ShadowBloodNinja- I think you might like this chapter since Selûne has made a decision :D let's see if you do.  
**_

_**WARNING: Minor Tobi bashing. Seriously, who cares about that guy? All he does is cause trouble. Thank God the giant mutated spider carried him off cause as far as Selûne knows, the lil bastard is still missing lol. ENJOY!**_

* * *

A few days after the birth of Aika and Shin'ichi, Selûne was laying on her bed with Shin'ichi cuddled to her chest and Aika sleeping peacefully on the pillow. Shin'ichi was still awake though, sucking contently on his thumb as he stared up at his mother. She smiled down at him and ran her hand through his soft black hair, loving how his black eyes would crinkle with happiness and he would coo up at her. Even Miyako was quiet, staring through the window of Selûne's mind at the twins.

'_Shin'ichi reminds me so much of Seiichi…when I return, I shall have to take him as my own…'_

She was happy that Selûne couldn't hear her thoughts or else the younger Amakura would get angry at her. Thank Kami for small favors!

The door to Selûne's room opened and Deidara walked in, closing the door quietly behind him and making his way to the bed. He stopped when he was standing right next to the bed, looking down at the sleeping Aika. "She's a cute one un," he said, running his finger down the baby's chubby cheek. Selûne smiled up at the blonde as he sat down next to her, taking Aika into his arms.

"You would make a really good father, Deidara," she whispered as she watched him cradle the baby to his chest, stroking her cheeks. Deidara gave her a surprised look before looking back at Aika, smiling down at the sleeping baby.

"You really think so un?"

She only nodded, turning back to Shin'ichi who was still sucking his thumb contently, but his black eyes were focused on Deidara. More like on Deidara's long blonde hair…Shin'ichi made a sound like a wail and held his arms out to Deidara, wanting to be held by the bomber. Selûne laughed and handed him over to the blonde, watching as Shin'ichi tugged on Deidara's golden locks and Aika remained asleep.

"Ow, watch it you little punk un," he said as he tried to retrieve his hair from the squealing baby. In the middle of their little tug of war, the door opened to reveal Pain standing there, his face solemn.

"Selûne, it's time."

"Already?" she asked, her eyes wide. It had been agreed upon that after the birth of the twins, the Akatsuki would seal away the malevolent spirit harbored in her body so that she couldn't take over the Amakura anymore. It was a long and extremely dangerous process that would take at least a day to complete due to the voracity of the spirit, but it would work in keeping Miyako at bay and also keep her from damaging Selûne's body anymore.

"If you want to keep yourself from suffering any more damage, then we need to perform the sealing right now," he explained, beckoning to the girl as she rose from the bed. She gave Deidara a concerned look before looking down at her children. Aika remained sleeping, but Shin'ichi looked up at her with his big black eyes. His face broke out into a toothless smile as he reached for her, making a "goo" sound as he did. She smiled down at him as a lone tear slipped down her cheek, taking him from Deidara's arms and holding him close to her.

"Shin'ichi…" she whispered, cradling his head in her neck. As if he could sense her distress, the baby began crying.

She knew that if she went through with the sealing, it was possible that it could kill her. In order for the seal to work, they had to tamper with her chakra network. Because Miyako had successfully been able to meld her chakra with Selûne's in order to be able to take over her body whenever she wanted, they had to separate her chakra from Selûne's and seal it into her mind where Miyako dwelled. The reason why it was so dangerous…they had to draw out every ounce of her chakra in order to separate it. And every ninja knew what would happen if they had absolutely no chakra left…

They would die.

Selûne didn't want to do it without first saying goodbye to her children. After all, there was a chance that she just might not survive the process. "Shin'ichi…if I don't pull through this, take care of your sister. Also…watch over your father for me." She kissed the baby's forehead, smiling down at the sniffling child. "Aishiteru." She then turned to his sister, sleeping ever so peacefully in Deidara's arms. She kissed her forehead as well, holding back her tears as best as she could. "Aishiteru, Aika."

The Amakura then took her daughter from Deidara and laid both children in their crib, smiling down at them before turning back to Pain. "I'm ready."

* * *

As the Akatsuki gathered for the sealing in the depths of the hideout, Sasuke and Kabuto slipped in through a secret entrance that Hidan used to sneak out to the nearby villages and capture unsuspecting females in order to copulate with them. After weeks of mapping out the hideout, they had finally made their move. Sasuke crept silently through the hallways with Kabuto in tow, heading for Selûne's room when footsteps echoed through the hall. The Uchiha grabbed Kabuto by the collar and dived into an empty room, both shinobi masking their chakra as Sasuke peeked his head out to see who it was. His breath caught in his throat when he saw Selûne being led by a man with spiky orange hair and another with long blonde hair, her face downcast.

"What's going on…?" he wondered, wanting nothing more than to grab her and take her far away from here. Even though he really wanted that, he knew that with what he had planned, she would undoubtedly follow and fall right into his trap. When they had disappeared from sight, Sasuke looked down at the small piece of paper that showed the layout of the hideout. Selûne's room was three doors down on the right, just past where the three shinobi had disappeared. He made his way cautiously to the corner and peeked around to see them disappear around another corner. Now was the time to go! He bolted to her door and stood outside it for a moment, scanning the room for any chakra signature. After finding it empty, he signaled to Kabuto to keep an eye out as he opened the door quietly.

Selûne's room was neat with a large bed and a small nightstand next to it. A dresser was placed against the right wall next to a door that led to the bathroom. And right next to the dresser…

Sasuke could hear the sound of a baby making gurgling sounds as it shifted in its crib, a sucking sound reaching his ears. He crept closer to the crib and looked down at the two children nestled in their blankets. Two children, a boy and a girl…the girl was asleep while the boy was wide awake, his eyes shifting from his sister to the man standing over them. Sasuke half expected the child to start crying when he saw him, but surprisingly the baby cooed and reached out to him. He reached into the crib and lifted the boy into his arms, looking him over while trying to keep the baby from pulling at his hair. He looked almost exactly like him when he had been a baby: black hair, black eyes…hell, even the mischievous look in his eyes. The Uchiha spared a glance at the girl, who matched her brother in hair color, but her eye color was to be determined until she woke up.

"Right…take both of them," he muttered to himself as he also took the girl into his arms, being mindful of their heads. He walked calmly out of the room and motioned to Kabuto, who took one of the babies from him so that he could hold the other properly.

"You do realize Selûne is going to kill us right?" the medic nin said, his eyes twinkling behind his glasses. Sasuke grimaced at the thought of the Amakura going on a rampage when she discovers her children missing. Deciding that the only way she would know it was him, he took a kunai and walked back into her room, carving the Uchiha crest into the frame of the crib. He knew that once she looked at the crib, she would know it was him.

'_I am so dead…'_

"_I'll say…" _Daisuke laughed quietly, beaming with excitement as he looked down at the gurgling child in Sasuke's arms. _"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned."_

'_Do you know what she named them?' _Sasuke thought to Daisuke, not wanting Kabuto to think that he was talking to himself.

"_From what Atsuko told me, the girl Kabuto is holding is Aika and the boy you have is Shin'ichi. Believe me when I say this, but this was an incredibly stupid plan Sasuke. Mistress Selûne won't hesitate to kill you just to get her children back. There is nothing worse than a mother's fury."_

'_I'm so dead…' _Sasuke thought again, mentally face palming as he walked out of the room with Shin'ichi in his arms, the baby cooing happily up at him. He chanced a look down at the smiling newborn, a warm sensation filling him slowly the longer he stared at the child. He didn't want to say it out loud, but the child was extremely adorable. _'And would no doubt grow up to become a powerful shinobi since he __**is **__of the Uchiha clan. I wonder what he'll be able to do when he's old enough…will he be able to control the spirits like you do, Selûne? Or will he command the power of the Sharingan like Itachi and I?'_

Sasuke crept through the hideout until they reached the hidden entrance, slipping through it stealthily and making his way into the forest, Kabuto following close behind him with the sleeping Aika. Shin'ichi gurgled as his tiny fists clung to Sasuke's kimono top, unaware that he and his sister were being kidnapped.

* * *

In the depths of the hideout, Selûne stood in the middle of an extremely intricate seal surrounded by the members of the Akatsuki, nervousness making her belly turn over and over. Itachi was a bit pale, biting his lip when no one was looking. He was worried that the sealing would not go right and he would lose his beloved wife forever. He inwardly slapped himself. _'No, I need to believe that this will work. I need to be confident…for Selûne.'_

Even Pain looked a bit skeptical from his position behind the Amakura. If Pain was doubtful about this, then that was most definitely not a good thing.

"Are we ready?" he asked, looking over the Akatsuki members as he said this. At the nods of agreement from each member, he brought his hands together in a sign. "Let us begin then."

Each member brought their hands up in the same sign as their leader and focused their chakra on the woman in the seal. Selûne closed her eyes as she felt the multiple chakra signatures swirl around her. She could feel the warmth of Itachi's chakra, the strange coldness of Kisame's, Pain's scorching chakra, the gentle brush of Konan's, the pulling sensation of Sasori's, Deidara's tingling chakra, Kakuzu's shocking chakra and the slippery feeling of Hidan's. Tobi was currently held up by the giant mutated spider from earlier, but he didn't count as an Akatsuki member so no one cared. As far as they were concerned, he wasn't needed for this ritual. The seal that Selûne stood in began to glow a bright blue, light emanating from it up to the ceiling. Selûne herself felt her body get extremely light all of a sudden until she hovered about two feet off the floor, her hair flowing around her face. Her eyes cracked open to meet Itachi's red eyes, the worry evident in his despite the thick barrier of chakra that surrounded her.

'_Don't worry koibito, everything will be alright.' _She hoped that he could hear her thoughts so that he would be reassured, but his expression didn't change.

"Now we will begin the extraction," Pain said, moving his hands so that his palms were now facing her, as if he were trying to push the barrier. The members copied his movements, bringing their hands up as if they were trying to push the barrier. A strange feeling came over Selûne, a pulling feeling that spread throughout her body until it settled in her chest. It was oddly relaxing…

She closed her eyes as the sensation continued, only for them to open once more as a stabbing sensation began in her chest. Selûne screamed in pain as the feeling continued, her body growing weaker and weaker with every passing second. If she could move, she would have. The pain was nearly blinding! Unfortunately her sight began to blur and fade until she finally lost consciousness, her last thought being of Itachi and her children.

Itachi grimaced as Selûne's head fell forward, her whole body going as limp as a rag doll. Her warm white chakra surrounded her in a whirlwind as well as Miyako's ominous black chakra, giving it a yin-yang appearance. Itachi was so caught up in the spectacle that he almost didn't hear what Leader said.

"Focus on the black chakra now."

Itachi shifted his hands so that they were now pressed together with both middle and index fingers pointing upward in a hand sign. He watched as the black chakra began to slowly take shape, forming the shape of a woman. It wasn't long before he was staring into the red eyes of Miyako Amakura. Her mouth opened in an angry scream before her chakra was slowly forced into a small sphere.

"Fūin!" Pain said, clapping his hands together, his motions copied by the Akatsuki. The black sphere hovered momentarily before it soared around the Amakura's head and flew right into the diamond on her forehead, the three tattoos on her face glowing with a bright blue light before going through a radical change. The diamond changed into three separate shapes: it remained a diamond shape, but a round dot separated the diamond from being completely whole. The two tattoos on the sides of her face also separated, but into two separate shapes: they remained a triangle shape, but the edges became rounded. Miyako had been successfully sealed into Selûne's mind. As long as the marks remained the way they were, the seal would hold.

"Now we need to place the chakra back into her body," Pain said as he brought his hands back to the very first sign, the Akatsuki once again copying his movements. A ripple went through the room as the white chakra swirled slowly around the Amakura. Putting the chakra back into her body would be the hardest part of the ritual since they had to introduce the chakra to her body once more. Itachi bit his lip even harder as he concentrated hard on the sealing.

'_We can do this!'_

* * *

Sasuke sat in his room in Orochimaru's hideout, having managed to get past the snake without him noticing the two babies. Kabuto had placed the children in a large basket before leaving the Uchiha to his thoughts, covering them with a rather thick blanket. Because of the trip, the girl had woken up so now Sasuke had a view of her eyes. She possessed the same beautiful blue eyes that his beloved Selûne possessed, but no one could compare to hers. He wondered momentarily what a child between him and Selûne would look like; would it have black hair and black eyes, or would it have brown hair with black eyes? Maybe even black hair and blue eyes like Aika, who was now looking up at him with the utmost curiosity. A warm feeling came over him as he bent down and picked the baby girl up, cradling her to his chest. She simply stared at him, her mouth open slightly in an 'o' shape.

'_What is this feeling? Why do I feel so happy when I hold her children? They aren't even mine…'_

"_You're holding them because quite simply…they are a part of her. They are her own flesh and blood, born from her own body. You cling to anything that reminds you of her because you are obsessed with her! Obsession can become a very ugly thing, Sasuke. It is unbecoming of a young man,"_ Daisuke said. Even though he was only a spirit, he too was feeling very warm at seeing the children of his mistress. He was glad that his mistress was happy, but he knew that when she found her children missing, she would be very angry.

"Even though the whole point of this plan was to bring Selûne to me, I don't feel like I can bring myself to give the children back…" Sasuke murmured, stroking Aika's silky black hair. Aika's mouth went from an 'o' shape to a big smile, her toothless gums immediately drawing the Uchiha in with its cuteness as she reached out to him with her tiny hands. He offered her a slim finger and she gladly took it, gripping it tightly in her chubby hand. "She's so cute…I have no doubt that she will be strong when she grows up."

Daisuke watched this with growing fascination. _"You know, Sasuke…I can't believe I'm saying this, but you just might make a good father someday. If you make an effort and turn from this evil path!"_

Sasuke shook his head, his brows furrowing into a frown. "I've chosen my path and I'm not changing it. I will have my revenge and nothing will stand in my way."

'_Here he goes again.'_ Daisuke sighed as he was subjected once more to Sasuke's revenge speech. He was just about to tune the Uchiha out when an evil presence made itself known. _'It's him…'_

"Well Sasuke, I'm surprised that you were able to get them here without me noticing. Excellent work." Sasuke froze when the hissing voice of Orochimaru reached his ears, noticing the long black hair of the snake Sannin bending over the basket containing Shin'ichi. "Twin Uchiha heirs! Fate is kind to bring children of the Uchiha and Amakura prodigies into my presence." It was then that Shin'ichi woke up and when he saw Orochimaru bending over him, he began to wail.

"You will not touch these children!" Sasuke hissed, snatching the basket away from Orochimaru and shielding the twins from his golden stare. "I hid them from you because I know you would take them and perform your disgusting experiments on them without thought to their lives! They are Selûne's children and as long as I have them, you will not touch them! If you do, I guarantee that you will not have a vessel with your _precious _Sharingan!"

Orochimaru thought carefully for a moment before drawing away, giving Sasuke a cold stare. "Very well, I leave them in your care Sasuke. Rest assured, I will have them in my grasp soon enough." With those words, the snake Sannin disappeared, closing the door to Sasuke's room behind him. Shin'ichi was still crying when Sasuke reached over and plucked him from the basket, holding him to his chest next to his sister. The boy's cries stopped almost instantly when he was within arm's length of his twin, the two babies staring at each other with dark eyes.

"I'm happy that you two are here with me," Sasuke said to them, holding them just a little tighter. "You two are the future of the Uchiha clan, even if you are the offspring of my brother. Aika…Shin'ichi…I'm so happy for this moment."

The twins looked up at their uncle curiously before breaking out into big gummy smiles, Shin'ichi clapping his hands together and Aika's fingers buried in her mouth. It made the Uchiha's heart swell slightly that the children weren't unhappy about being kidnapped and separated from their mother. Then it hit Sasuke. How was he going to feed them if they fed off of their mother!? What if Selûne couldn't find them in time!?

"Shit!"

* * *

In the hideout, the Akatsuki had successfully managed to transplant Selûne's chakra back into her body. The room began to return to its original darkness as the last light from the ritual faded away, the seal burned into the skin of her stomach. The seal had been placed there as an extra precaution just in case the original seal broke. Her body hovered in the air for a moment before slowly lowering to the ground, but Itachi was there to catch her, gathering her gently into his arms.

"Wake her up now, Itachi," Pain said, motioning for the rest of the Akatsuki to leave the room. As the members filed out, Itachi pressed two fingers to the modified diamond tattoo, releasing a small amount of chakra into her so that it would soothe her into waking her up. His heart nearly stopped when her eyes fluttered slightly before opening, the dark blue orbs blinking blearily at him.

"Itachi…is it done?" she whispered, her voice hoarse. Itachi could only nod, his throat feeling unbelievably tight. An almost imperceptible sigh escaped her, her body relaxing against his. She could no longer feel the darkness of Miyako's influence upon her…it almost felt like an unbelievably heavy burden had been taken from her shoulders. She licked her dry lips. "Aika and Shin'ichi…I want to see them," she whispered, wrapping her arms around Itachi's neck. She felt his nod before he stood up with her in his arms, carrying her out of the room and up the winding stairs. As the Uchiha walked, Selûne sent herself into the subconscious of her mind.

_It was dark as Selûne walked through a labyrinth, stepping in random puddles that dotted the stone floors. Somehow it felt like she knew where to go…something was tugging her, helping her through the labyrinth. Harsh breathing reached her ears._

_She turned another corner into a spacious room where a gate stood, a tag with the seal kanji written upon it. That was where the harsh breathing originated from. _

"_I see you've come…" It was Miyako's voice, angry and bitter. She appeared behind the gate, her face contorted in an expression of the utmost fury. "So now you have me sealed away so that I cannot take control…it does not mean that it detracts from my return! Once you die, I will come back!"_

"_I know this…" Selûne said as she approached the gate. "It is for the best that this happened. Now you will not endanger my life or the lives of my family."_

"_Maybe not now, but later on, it will happen. You've only delayed the inevitable, my dear," Miyako purred, leaning against the bars. "Watashi no gisei…watashi no __y__ōki…"_

"_No Miyako, not your sacrifice nor your vessel. I am my own person and I will find a way to release this curse on Mayu and I!"_

"_Too bad dear, it's impossible. You cannot change fate," Miyako said, turning away from the Amakura and walking back into the shadows of her cell. "You __**will **__pay for this…"_

Selûne opened her eyes and blinked up at her husband, who simply stared straight ahead as he carried her to her room. He must have sensed her staring at him because his eyes shifted to her, a smile lifting his lips. She smiled and snuggled closer to him, enjoying the warmth of his body. He reached her room and opened the door, setting Selûne down so that she could go tend to their children. She had taken only one step when she noticed the empty crib.

"Itachi…where are the children?" she said quietly, her voice holding a disbelieving tone.

"They should have been in here. I'm going to go ask the others if they know where they are," Itachi said as he ran out of the room. Selûne stood there in silence, staring down into the empty crib.

"Where could they be…?" she murmured, closing her eyes and running her hand over the smooth wood. As she ran her hand over the wood, her fingers snagged on an indent in the frame. Her eyes opened and looked down at the indent, her heart stopping when she saw the symbol carved there. "It can't be…why…?"

Itachi came running back in just as Selûne fell to her knees before the crib, her face buried in her hands. "None of the others have seen or touched the children, koibito. Do you think they might be crawling around somewhere?"

"Itachi, they're only three days old. They're not old enough to be crawling yet…besides, I think I know what happened to them…" she replied in a low voice, her fists clenching tightly. Itachi waited for her to tell him, but she remained silent, stewing in her anger. Finally he couldn't take the tension.

"What happened to them Selûne?" he asked, worry laced in his normally silky voice. The Amakura gritted her teeth as she looked up at the wall, her eyes swirling in a mix of gold and red.

"Sasuke…your own brother kidnapped them," she replied, her voice filled with the utmost hatred. Itachi's breath hitched in his throat, his eye twitching slightly.

"Foolish little brother…I never expected this of him…" he murmured, falling to his knees next to his wife and taking her into his arms. "We'll find them together, koibito."

"Yes…and when we do…" she said slowly. "I will kill Sasuke for what he has done…"


	37. Mission: Rescue the Children!

_**The next chapter has finally been finished! Now we will see if Selûne does manage to save her children in time! *cue collective gasp***_

_***Disclaimer* I do not own Naruto. All characters, locations and groups belong to Masashi Kishimoto. I do however own the characters of Selûne, Mayu, Miyako, Maya, Takao, Nobutoshi and Ryuunosuke. I enjoy this way too much...  
**_

_**ShadowBloodNinja- You may be a bit disappointed in this chapter a lil, but rest assured, you will get your blood. This is dedicated to you cause you give me reason to still want to keep writing! ^_^  
**_

_**Enjoy the chapter. Reviews will be appreciated and rewarded with Uchiha cookies. Flamers will be cast into the deepest darkest pits of Hell and burn forever!  
**_

* * *

Tsunade hung her head over her paperwork, drunk off her ass with a large bottle of sake clutched in her hand. A seven month long state of drunkenness was really getting to her after her betrayal of her own flesh and blood, but she knew that it had been for the best. They had needed to capture Itachi in order to gain intel on the Akatsuki, but after seeing just how torn up Selûne had been over Tsunade's betrayal, she vaguely wondered if she had made a terrible mistake. She could still hear Selûne's angry voice echoing through her mind…

"_I don't believe this…why, Tsunade-sensei? The Tsunade I know wouldn't do this! I hate you!"_

Her chest suddenly felt extremely tight, making it hard to breathe. Tears poured down her cheeks as heavy sobs wracked her body.

"Selûne…forgive me…please forgive me…"

A knock on the door tore her from her thoughts and she straightened up in her chair. "Come -hic- in!" She winced inwardly at how bad she sounded. The door opened to reveal Jiraiya and Kakashi standing there, a concerned look on Jiraiya's face.

"Tsunade, you've really got to stop beating yourself up over this. Even Sarutobi-sensei would have probably done the same thing as you if he had been confronted with that kind of situation." The toad Sannin was trying to reassure her as best as he could, but he knew it was a lost cause. Tsunade was completely torn from what she had done. Kakashi sighed heavily and leaned against the frame of the door, his one visible eye appearing bored.

"Lady Hokage, with all due respect, you had to do what was right. Maybe she will get over it, maybe not…but if she hasn't, then we have a powerful enemy on our hands. Taking into account of her harboring a spirit bent on destroying Konoha, it's entirely possible that she just might follow her ancestor's path. The only difference is that she has the strength to do it. In fact…it's hard to imagine that such a fragile looking woman could possess such power. I'm sure you remember what she was like when she was in the academy?"

"I remember all too well…" Tsunade mused as she looked up at the ceiling. "She had just turned five years old when she started attending and she was able to graduate by the time she turned six. She and Itachi had a lot in common…the only thing different about them was that she was very weak mentally." She closed her eyes at the memory of seeing Selûne coming home with multiple bruises from being picked on at the academy when she had been younger.

_Tsunade had been paying the Amakuras a visit one day when young Selûne came home from the academy completely covered in bruises and cuts. Maya had poked her head out from the kitchen to say hello to her daughter and had screamed bloody murder. When Tsunade peered around the corner to see why her friend was screaming, she nearly fainted when she saw the little Amakura. Selûne's face was covered in multiple bruises as well as her arms and legs. She sported two black eyes while her bottom lip was bust wide open, dried blood caked around the wound. There was a particularly nasty slice on her leg that was still trickling blood, the edges of the cut turning an ugly purple color. What shocked Tsunade the most was the child's throat. She had so many bruises there that just the sight of it made the Sannin think that someone at the academy had tried to choke her. Children could be so cruel nowadays…_

"_Selûne…hachimitsu…who did this to you?" she said, her voice soft. The little girl looked timidly up at the Sannin before looking down at her tiny toes, the only part of her that wasn't bruised or cut up. Tsunade sighed and tilted Selûne's chin up so she could look at her. "Who did this?"_

_Selûne bit her lip before responding. "Ch-Chiaki and Hitomi…they ganged up on me with their group. They called me a freak because of my family…Tsunade-sama, why do they call me a freak? What has my family done that is so bad!?"_

_Tsunade smiled sadly at the little girl. "Your family has done nothing wrong, ch__īsana ichi. They're just jealous because you are a beautiful little girl and when you are all grown up, you're going to be the most gorgeous woman alive. You're going to have a loving family and they will have nothing. Just believe that you are so much better than them because you are. I'm going to train you to become a powerful kunoichi when you graduate from the academy. One thing that they will never have is that none of them will be able to say they were trained by one of the three legendary Sannin. How would you like that, kiddo?"_

_Selûne smiled up at her, her face brightening despite the bruises. "I'd love that, Tsunade-sama!"_

"_Please, just call me Tsunade-sensei from now on. You're my student now," the Sannin corrected, giving the child a big smile. At that moment, Maya reappeared with some bandages. Tsunade watched as the elder Amakura healed Selûne of her more serious wounds before bandaging her up, a smile on her face. The little girl stared right back at her, her deep blue eyes sparkling with joy. _

"She matured greatly after a year or so of training and afterwards, she was able to kick the asses of all her former academy bullies. Her problem was that she was too nice and extremely naïve, therefore allowing them to easily pick on her and beat her up."

"She was the sweetest little child though. Little tyke could put a genuine smile on even Orochimaru's face, and that's something," Jiraiya chuckled, remembering how the snake Sannin had actually cracked a smile when the four year old Selûne had rushed up to him with a measly wildflower and a big smile on her face. "Even at six years old, she was already surpassing her older sister. Mayu Amakura graduated the academy at age eight, became chunin at age nine and then jonin at age ten. Selûne did become a chunin at age ten and then jonin at age twelve, but you could tell just by looking at her that she was on a completely different scale than her sister. And Nobutoshi Amakura…he had potential to become a powerful shinobi like his sisters."

"The life of a shinobi is extremely dangerous, so it is expected of us to have a shorter lifespan," Kakashi interrupted, his face buried in Icha Icha.

"What should we do if Selûne has turned against us?" Tsunade asked, placing her head in her hands.

"For the moment, we probably shouldn't do anything. If she is indeed pregnant, then she should be indisposed for a while to take care of her child. We needn't worry about her for the time being. Instead we need to focus on the Akatsuki because they should be making their move soon. I believe we have at least two years before they will begin, so we will have enough time to come up with a plan." Jiraiya had made his way over to the window and leaned against it with his arm positioned over his head. He surveyed the streets with various civilians and shinobi walking around, buying groceries, chatting, having a good time. He sighed before turning around to face Tsunade. "Tsunade, let's go out for some lunch. I'm going to pull your head out of your ass so that you can finally get some work done around here."

A vein appeared on Tsunade's head, but before she could punch Jiraiya's teeth out, Kakashi interrupted once more.

"Shouldn't you be training Naruto right now, Jiraiya? Don't tell me you left him all alone wherever you two went."

Jiraiya chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his head. "Well…let's just say the little squirt needed a break, so he's relaxing in a hot spring right now."

"Bullshit! You're turning him into a miniature version of you, you old pervert!" Tsunade yelled, finally getting her punch in. Kakashi felt himself sweatdrop when he looked over to see Jiraiya on the ground, his teeth lying all around him.

* * *

Selûne sat on her bed staring emotionlessly at the empty crib. Nearly twenty hours ago, she had come back in to find the crib devoid of both Aika and Shin'ichi and she hadn't moved from her spot since. Itachi had gone to gather supplies for their mission while she sat there, telling her he would be back in an hour. The Amakura had merely nodded, her eyes never leaving the empty crib. Now…now she sat there with her fists clenched and tears running down her cheeks, her face growing increasingly warmer by the minute. How dare Sasuke kidnap her children, her defenseless children! Who knew what was happening to them right now! What if Orochimaru placed his curse mark on them!?

"Fuck this! I'm not going to sit around and let my children die!" she yelled, stomping to her dresser and pulling her ninja clothing out. During her long pregnancy, she had been wearing civilian clothing since she couldn't perform any ninja tasks in her condition. Now she was on a mission: to save her children. And she would be damned if anyone tried to get in her way! Throwing on soft black pants and a sleeveless high collared shirt, she slid her feet into her low heels and picked up Arc Asunder, the blade crackling with intense lightning. After tying her long brown hair back in a high ponytail, she strapped her weapons pouch to her thigh and made her way to the door. She had just laid her hand on the doorknob when someone on the other side turned it and opened the door right in Selûne's face.

"Ow!" she yelled as she grabbed her nose, which had started to bleed. Itachi was immediately at her side, his Akatsuki cloak wrapping around her as he held his sleeve up to her nose in an attempt to staunch the bleeding.

"Forgive me koibito, I didn't mean to hit you," he whispered. She glared up at him with a single golden eye while her body stopped the bleeding, allowing the Uchiha to wipe the excess blood away.

"I'm leaving right now to rescue our children," she said, pushing past him to leave the room, but he grabbed her arm. She turned to snap at him, but paused when she saw the blazing red of the Sharingan. Itachi's expression was furious, almost to the point that his normally pale face was flushed.

"_We _are going to rescue our children! Don't ever think that I would just leave my own children in that snake's clutches! I would rather _die!_"

Selûne stared at him with wide eyes, taking in his angry face. Itachi bit his lip hard, not wanting to imagine what might be happening to his son and daughter at the moment.

"If you go by yourself…" he began, forcing himself to calm down and speak softly. "There's a chance that Orochimaru will capture you and then use you to get to me. When I first joined the Akatsuki, Orochimaru tried to steal my body so he could obtain the Sharingan, but I stopped him and cut his hand off so that he could not perform any jutsu. If you get captured…" Itachi stopped for a moment, taking a deep breath before continuing. "If you get captured…there's no doubt that he will experiment on you in order to gain your power. I don't want to lose you or the children, so it's better if I come with you along with a few others. We can overpower Orochimaru and take Aika and Shin'ichi back."

His wife seemed to think about this for a moment before sighing and nodding her head. "Who will be coming with us?"

"We've already decided that Deidara, Hidan and Kakuzu will be coming with us. Deidara will gain us entrance to the base by blowing up a sect-"

"No! I won't risk him accidentally blowing up Aika and Shin'ichi!" she shrieked, whacking him over the head with a rolled-up newspaper. Where she got it, he would never know and neither would the world.

"Will you shut up and let me finish!?" he yelled. Selûne immediately shut up because it was very rare that Itachi Uchiha yelled and when he did, it was best that everyone shut up and listened to what he had to say or risked being sent into the Tsukuyomi. "Before we even try to access the base, we are going to detect where Aika and Shin'ichi's chakra signatures are as well as Sasuke's. If I'm right, my foolish little brother won't let that snake anywhere near our children, so his chakra will be close to them. When we find where they are, then we will have Deidara blow up a section close to it so that we can just swoop in, grab them and get out."

"Why don't we just kill Orochimaru while we're at it? We'd be doing everyone a big ass favor…" she muttered, crossing her arms over her chest. Itachi chuckled lowly at his wife's childish behavior.

"Our first priority is the safety of the children. When we get them safely out of there, then we can focus on destroying Orochimaru. As I was saying, Deidara will gain us entrance. Hidan will be our distraction and draw the enemy's attacks away from us while Kakuzu will be our backup in case one of us gets taken down, which I hope will not happen. You and I will be grabbing the children and getting them out of there."

He watched as she bit her lip, clearly thinking about the plan laid out before her. Before his very eyes, her tough façade cracked and her eyes began to mist over as she threw herself into his arms, tears running down her face. After having been a missing-nin for nearly five years, his methods of comfort had diminished to almost nothing, making it extremely awkward for him to console her. Her heavy sobs were muffled by his cloak, but he could feel her entire body shaking like a leaf.

"Why did this happen to us? Why can't life just be simple!?" she sobbed, clutching the folds of his cloak tightly in her hands. "Nothing is ever simple…I can't live without knowing that I could die any day now by Mayu's hands…I can't escape my fate…and now my children have been taken away from me! They're only four days old, Itachi! They can't survive in a harsh environment like Orochimaru's hideout!"

"Selûne, that's why we're going after them immediately! We can't waste time talking about it right now! When we get back with them, then we can talk about our life, okay?" he soothed, rubbing her back gently. He felt her almost imperceptible nod against his chest before she moved away from him, wiping at her eyes. "Let's go."

She followed him out of the hideout and into the clearing where Deidara, Hidan and Kakuzu stood waiting for them. "It's about time you fucking got out here, we've been waiting forever!" Hidan said, sneering at the two. Selûne shot him an angry look one moment before she disappeared and reappeared in front of him, her hand wrapped around his throat.

"Don't test me Hidan. I'm already upset over losing my children and if you make this mission hell for me, then I will make the rest of your pathetic life hell for you!" she screamed in his face, her face bright red and flecks of spit hitting him in the face. Hidan looked like he was about to say something, but she squeezed his neck hard enough to snap it. After shaking him twice for good measure, she dropped him to the ground and stomped off. Itachi caught the smirks on both Kakuzu and Deidara's faces before the former Taki nin went to aid his mentally challenged partner and Itachi went to calm down the raging Amakura. Deidara grinned weakly when Hidan was fixed up and standing.

"Well…shall we be off un?"

* * *

Sasuke didn't know what to do! Shin'ichi and Aika wouldn't stop crying and frankly, it was getting on his nerves. He'd tried everything he could from rocking them to patting their backs to trying to put them to sleep, but nothing worked! They kept crying!

"SASUKE! SHUT THOSE CHILDREN UP BEFORE I DO IT FOR THEM!" Orochimaru yelled, his normally hissing voice shrill with anger. Sasuke growled angrily as he grabbed Shin'ichi roughly and jerked him up to his eye level, making sure to support his head. He glared at the crying baby, which only made Shin'ichi cry even more.

"Why won't you two be quiet!? I changed you so you couldn't have pooped your diaper again! What is wrong!?" he screeched, shaking the baby gently. If it was any possible, Shin'ichi's cries became louder. "Wait…when was the last time you were fed?" He put his finger into Shin'ichi's mouth and watched as the child sucked hungrily at his finger, little sniffles escaping the boy when no milk came from Sasuke's finger. "Shit…you're hungry. Your mother's not here either…maybe kidnapping you was a bad idea. I didn't mean to starve you, I'm so sorry little man," he said, cradling the sniffling child to his chest. "Maybe Kabuto can make something for you guys until your mother gets here." Sasuke placed Shin'ichi in the basket with Aika and carried them out of his room to Kabuto's lab, trying his best to block out the incessant crying from the twins. He pushed the door to Kabuto's lab open, the medic nin turning to look at the Uchiha with a surprised expression.

"Hey Sasuke, you need something?"

"Yeah…" Sasuke set the basket containing the two babies on the table and set his glare on Kabuto. "Can you make something that can substitute for food for the children until Selûne comes for them?" Kabuto stared at the Uchiha for a moment, his mouth hanging open. "Shut your mouth and tell me if you can make something!?" Sasuke was beginning to lose his patience.

"Yeah I suppose…I can make it in a few minutes," he said, turning back to his table. "Don't worry, I won't try to hurt the children, Sasuke." He tried to reassure the Uchiha when he gave him a glare. Sasuke relaxed slightly as he watched Kabuto mix together multiple ingredients to create a white liquid that strongly resembled milk. "This is pretty much breast milk from a human female. I mixed together whey and casein proteins, some essential fats, multiple vitamins and the carbohydrates that make up breast milk as well as leukocytes which makes breast milk better than that formula crap that they have in the markets. I just need to warm it up for them because the babies will not drink it cold."

Sasuke pretended like he knew what Kabuto was saying by crossing his arms and nodding his head to everything that the medic nin said. When Kabuto had heated up the milk, he poured it into glass bottles and attached baby nipples to the top so that the children could suck on them. "Sasuke, it'll probably be easier if we each took one child and fed them. I don't think you can hold both of them and feed them both at the same time."

"Yeah you're right. You take Aika and I'll take Shin'ichi," he said as he picked the baby boy up and cradled him in his arms. Kabuto handed him one of the bottles and Sasuke popped the nipple into Shin'ichi's mouth, relieved when the baby stopped crying and began sucking. "Thank Kami…" Aika had also stopped crying when Kabuto eased the bottle into her tiny mouth, sucking on the nipple. "I guess we can do this until Selûne gets here…"

"Well I hope she gets here soon cause I don't plan on doing this all the time," Kabuto grumbled, watching Aika as her eyes closed in content. Sasuke looked up at Kabuto for a moment before looking back down at Shin'ichi, the baby staring up at him as he sucked on his bottle. He couldn't help but smile down at the child, even though he was the son of his older brother. This boy and girl were the future of the Uchiha clan and when Sasuke finally got his hands on Selûne, he would create his own half of the clan through her. The perfect breeder…

* * *

Nearly three miles from Orochimaru's base, the group wanted to take a break. Everyone except Selûne…so when Deidara flopped down against a tree, all hell broke loose.

"What the HELL are you doing!?" she screamed, waving her arms wildly around her. "We can't be resting right now! We need to get there right now and save my children for fuck's sake!"

"Selûne, calm down. It's only for a few minutes," Itachi said, trying to calm his furious wife down, but she ignored him.

"Don't tell me to fucking calm down, Uchiha! Go fuck yourself! How the fuck can you assholes think about fucking resting when my fucking children are being held hostage by a fucking pedophile who will probably place his shitty curse seal on MY children and plan to use their fucking bodies for his own sick pleasure!? Who fucking knows how fucked up Orochimaru is in the head!? It's bad enough that he fucking rapes little boys, but if he even THINKS about touching my son or daughter in that way, I am going to cut his fucking dick off and shove it down his throat before I cut his fucking head off and shove it up his fucking ass! AAAAAGH!" The normally calm Amakura was now ripping her hair out and screaming at the top of her lungs. "YOU HEAR ME OROCHIMARU!? I'M GOING TO FUCKING MURDER YOU!"

The four men with her cowered away from her, hugging each other tightly as if they could protect themselves from the raging woman.

"And you fuckers say I swear too much…" Hidan whispered. The others nodded quickly, scared for their lives.

"O-okay Selûne, we'll keep going if you just calm down un," Deidara said, making his way toward the angry Amakura. Selûne watched him with angry eyes, but didn't do anything. She allowed the bomber to approach her and wrap his arms around her. "Let's go guys, the sooner we get this done, the sooner we'll have a happy Selûne with us again un."

Selûne disentangled herself from Deidara's grip and set off through the trees for Orochimaru's hideout, closely followed by the Akatsuki members. Itachi looked at his wife's back with sad eyes, knowing that she was going through hell right now.

'_Selûne, I'm so sorry…I promise you that we will get the children back no matter what!'_

When they had finally reached Orochimaru's hideout, the five shinobi hid in the trees and inspected the hideout. Selûne was beginning to get a little antsy just sitting there and tried searching for Aika and Shin'ichi's chakra signature.

'_It should be somewhere in there…' _She could sense Orochimaru's dark chakra in a deeper part of the hideout as well as multiple other chakra signatures that belonged to his prisoners. His chakra was with those signatures, so she could only assume he was torturing prisoners. A bright blue chakra caught her eye and she turned her head slightly to the left. _'That's Sasuke's chakra!' _Kabuto's chakra was right next to him…Aika's was with Kabuto's and Shin'ichi's was with Sasuke's. _'What're they doing to them!?'_

"Itachi, have Deidara place a bomb there." She pointed to the right of the entrance to the hideout along the side of the hill. "Hidan, I want you to just go right through the main entrance. Doing so will activate the alarm that Orochimaru has there and draw the enemy's attention. Kakuzu, I want you to stay with Itachi and I when we go through the entrance that Deidara will create. Itachi, I want you to follow my lead. I know where the children are."

"Right…"

Selûne turned to Deidara, nodding to him. He grinned and brandished a rather large clay bird, making it fly to the spot she had indicated. "Don't detonate it just yet Deidara. I want Hidan to go through the entrance first."

"Fine, fine! I'll go now, you stupid bitch!" A cold look from both Itachi and Selûne sent Hidan running to the entrance. As soon as his foot stepped through the archway, Selûne could sense both Orochimaru's chakra and Kabuto's chakra making their way to the entrance.

"They're coming," she said, holding her hand out to keep the others from moving. "Hold it…" The signatures came closer and closer. "Hold it…" Almost there… "Just a little more…" When the two were almost visible, she jerked her hand down. "NOW!"

While Hidan was distracting the snake and the medic, Deidara detonated his bomb and created a large hole in the ground, enough to have gone through to the hallway beneath. Selûne shot from the tree into the hole, landing in a rather dark hallway. Itachi and Kakuzu landed next to her, Deidara having gone to help Hidan. The Amakura ran down the hallway and made a sharp turn, keeping her senses tuned to the hum of Aika and Shin'ichi's chakra signatures. Only a few more feet…she made another sharp turn and ran to a door at the end of the hallway, coming to a screeching halt just outside the door. She could hear Itachi and Kakuzu's running footsteps coming near until they slowed down and stopped right behind her, their light panting reaching her ears. She stared at the door, her heart beating rapidly in her chest. She couldn't sense Sasuke's chakra anywhere near Aika and Shin'ichi…it had to be a trap. Her hand reached for the doorknob…

A yell came from behind her and a sickening feeling came over her. "I see you've come for the children, Selûne…" Orochimaru's hissing voice reached her ears. She froze, her heart stopping in her chest.

'_No…please don't let this plan fail…' _She drew in a deep breath and threw the door open.

"Kakuzu, cover us!" Itachi yelled as he stood in the doorway to provide some measure of protection to his wife. Kakuzu turned to face Orochimaru with his threads at the ready as Selûne made her way to the basket that held Aika and Shin'ichi, her hands shaking. She moved the blanket away from the babies to reveal…dolls. Dolls…?

"They're not here…" she whispered, her heart dropping. She gripped the sides of the basket tightly before ripping it cleanly in two, a vein popping on her head.

"Selûne!" Itachi and Kakuzu called to her, Itachi's voice sounding slightly panicky. She turned and ran out of the room to see what was wrong. When she saw the dark form of the snake Sannin, she froze. In the man's arms was Shin'ichi, sleeping peacefully!

"You bastard! You let my son go right now!" she screamed, rushing past Itachi and Kakuzu and jumping at Orochimaru. With one snake arm, Orochimaru slammed the Amakura into the wall, wrapping his arm tightly around her throat.

"Hmmm…it seems you've gotten weaker, little Selûne. Tell me…what is it you fear the most?" Orochimaru chuckled darkly as he brought his face closer to the sleeping Shin'ichi.

"Don't…you…fucking touch him!" she growled, struggling mightily against his grip, but he held firm. He smiled evilly at her and then his face shot forward into Shin'ichi's neck, his fangs sinking deep into the soft flesh.

The baby woke with a loud cry, the sound tearing Selûne up as she struggled more against Orochimaru. Everything seemed to blur out…she couldn't hear Itachi's angry yells or her own shout of anger, only the agonized cries of her son. Red clouded her vision when the snake retracted his fangs and his curse seal appeared on the baby's tiny shoulder, the tomoe shaped marks dark against the pink skin.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" Her scream of horror echoed throughout the hideout, but she was oblivious to it. A strange feeling was spreading throughout her body, a hot feeling like lava had replaced the blood in her veins. Her head began to pound and her stomach began to burn as the seal there began to unravel, loosening the bonds that kept Miyako sealed.

'_Yes…feel the anger flowing through you, Selûne. It feels good, doesn't it? If you want to save your son, release me. Release me and I will aid you!'_

_Selûne stood before the gate that housed Miyako, her head bowed and her fists clenched tightly enough to draw blood. She lifted her head to reveal blood-red eyes, staring right into Miyako's similar red eyes. The elder Amakura smirked, already knowing what Selûne had decided. She stepped away from the gate as Selûne made hand signs._

"_KAI!"_

_The seal disappeared and the gate flew open._

Selûne screamed at the sudden rush of evil chakra that overcame her, her hand coming up to grip Orochimaru's snake arm. Her eyes shot open to reveal blood-red eyes, staring straight into Orochimaru's golden eyes. The murderous intent in those eyes unnerved even the Sannin and he took an involuntary step back.

"_I'm going to kill you!"_ she growled in a harsh voice, the tattoos on her face slowly expanding and becoming more jagged by the second. Her fingernails grew in length until they pierced through the snake that made up his arm, causing Orochimaru to release her. A black chakra surrounded the Amakura, her form rapidly beginning to change. She gripped her head tightly and threw her body back, screaming loudly as the chakra engulfed her and began to take shape. Orochimaru was so frightened that he didn't even notice when Itachi snatched Shin'ichi away from him and ran away with Kakuzu, leaving the Sannin to his untimely death.

* * *

On the other side of the base, Sasuke held the crying Aika in his arms as he ran out of the hideout, having sensed an extremely powerful chakra nearby that exuded a horrendous killing intent. He didn't expect to run into the members of Akatsuki however…including his older brother who carried his newborn son in his arms. Sasuke was about to say something when the base literally _exploded!_ He shielded Aika from the blast and breathed a sigh of relief when Itachi did the same with Shin'ichi. He heard a yell from above and looked up just as Orochimaru faceplanted into the ground about a few feet away, his clothes burning. The dark chakra from behind chilled Sasuke to the bone as he turned his head and froze at what he saw.

A giant humanoid figure rose from the rubble of the hideout, made up completely of black chakra. The red eyes and mouth with jagged black teeth made Sasuke want to wet himself, but he steeled himself. The thing had to be at least a hundred feet tall!

"OROCHIMARU!" it screeched, reaching out for the snake Sannin and plucking him up in its sharp claws. The scream that Orochimaru let out would have made an opera singer proud. Before Sasuke's very eyes, the thing slammed Orochimaru down into the ground, creating a deep crater in the earth. The Uchiha activated his Sharingan and looked more closely at the figure, trying to pierce through the chakra shroud. In the chest of the creature was Selûne, controlling every single one of the creature's movements. He was so shocked that he didn't even notice when Itachi came up behind him, only jerking back to reality when his brother's hand came down on his shoulder.

"Sasuke, it's best that you leave Orochimaru. In the state that Selûne is in, there's no doubt in my mind that she will kill him mercilessly."

"But why…?" Sasuke said, looking down at the crying Aika in his arms. "He wasn't the one who took the children and I made sure that he got nowhere near them…"

"That's where you're wrong." Itachi's voice was now extremely cold as well as furious. "Selûne was convinced that they were in a certain room, but when she got there, they weren't there. Orochimaru had Shin'ichi and he…he placed his curse seal on my son."

Cold dread washed over Sasuke as he turned his head slowly, meeting Itachi's Sharingan eyes momentarily before looking down at the wailing Shin'ichi in his arms. Sure enough, the black markings of the curse seal stood out from the pink skin.

"Selûne has managed to break the seal keeping Miyako at bay and is now completely consumed by her," Itachi explained. "I imagine only the death of Orochimaru will calm her down."

Sasuke turned back to the spectacle, seeing Selûne pick Orochimaru up in her monstrous claws. He could hear the snake Sannin's sobs for mercy as she took his arms in one hand and his legs in the other, leaving him stretched out for everyone to see.

"Please! Don't kill me! I'll remove the curse seal from your son if you let me live!" Orochimaru had disintegrated from the cocky man that he was to a blubbering baby, begging with the Amakura to spare his life. The creature's expression became even angrier, hellfire burning from its eyes.

"OROCHIMARU," its voice boomed, sounding scratchy and harsh. "NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU BEG TO BE SPARED, IT WILL NOT BE GRANTED. YOUR LIFE WILL SERVE AS PUNISHMENT FOR HARMING MY CHILDREN! NOW BURN FOREVER IN THE DEEPEST DARKEST PITS OF _**HELL!**_"

With those words the creature yanked its hands apart and with it, Orochimaru's body. Everyone turned away from the sickening sight, Itachi and Sasuke shielding the children from the blood that rained down upon them. The creature/Selûne threw the two halves of Orochimaru's body down to the ground and stomped on them, completely crushing the body of the Sannin into a pulpy mess. It/she let out an ear-splitting roar, the men below her covering their ears while Itachi and Sasuke put a silencing jutsu over the children to protect their hearing. In the middle of her yell, she stopped abruptly. When Sasuke looked up to see what was wrong, the creature gripped its head tightly as if it were in pain. It began to shrink slowly, the black chakra dissipating to reveal Selûne more clearly. She hovered over them about twenty feet in the air, looking down at her wailing son with heartbreaking eyes. It was then that Sasuke saw it: a bloody tear crept down her cheek, staining her skin with its bright red color.

"Shin'ichi…" Her voice broke as she slowly floated down to the ground, but as soon as her feet touched the ground, she fell to her knees. Itachi ran to her side, putting one arm under her shoulder and keeping her upright. She didn't seem to notice him; instead her bloody eyes were focused on her crying son. "Shin'ichi…" she repeated, reaching out and taking him from his father. Her features softened as she held her son in her arms, stroking his cheek and whispering to him. "Watashi no musuko…aishiteru…" She looked down at the curse mark on his shoulder, feeling despair wash over her as more bloody tears slid down her cheeks to fall onto Shin'ichi's blanket. "I should have come sooner…" she whispered, clutching him to her chest. "I'm so sorry…please forgive me, my baby."

The five men watched with sadness in their hearts. Deidara looked like he was about to cry, Hidan was already crying and even Kakuzu's eyes looked misty. Itachi had rested his head on her shoulder and looked down at his son with her, also looking like he was about to cry. Sasuke still held Aika, who had stopped crying and had decided that now was a good time to go to sleep.

"I probably shouldn't have killed him…" Selûne's voice reached his ears, prompting him to look up at her. "Orochimaru is probably the only one who knows how to remove the curse mark…and trying to find out how to remove it will take time."

"It won't kill Shin'ichi," Sasuke said, feeling just a little bit sorry for his brother who truly looked pathetic right now. "If you can use the seal that Kakashi used on me to control my curse mark, then you will be okay."

Selûne was silent as she contemplated her choices. Finally she sighed, pressing her lips to her son's forehead and leaving a bloody kiss there. "I'll wait until you're a little older, Shin'ichi. Rest assured, I will find a way to remove the curse…" Shin'ichi's cries softened as he opened his teary eyes to look up at his mother, who smiled down at him. "Watashi wa itsumo anata o mamorimasu…"

Selûne blinked. For some reason she could no longer see her son's face, but his entire chakra network instead. She tilted her head slightly so that she could see Itachi's knee and saw that she could only see a faint outline of his body, but a clear visual of his chakra network. _'What is going on?'_

"Well, we managed to rescue the children AND kill Orochimaru at the same time! I say we fucking celebrate!" Hidan yelled, turning to leave. Deidara and Kakuzu turned as well, but Deidara stopped and turned back to the Uchihas. "Hey Uchiha, you think you guys can get back alright un?"

"Yeah…just give us a few minutes," Itachi said, waving the bomber off. There was a grunt from Deidara as acknowledgement and the three Akatsuki members took off into the forest, leaving the three Uchihas alone. Sasuke cleared his throat, causing his older brother to look up at him.

"Um…I think I should probably go…" the younger Uchiha stammered, walking forward and handing Aika to Itachi. "I'm so sorry about this. I should have protected them better."

"It's fine Sasuke." Itachi almost sounded like the kind older brother from the past now, dismissing his brother as if he had done something not worth getting mad over. Sasuke turned to Selûne, who knelt on the ground staring at Itachi's knee. Or looked like she was…

"Selûne?" She made a soft sound, indicating that she was listening to him. "I'm sorry for what happened…I didn't mean for him to get his filthy hands on them." She sighed and nodded, her body slumping slightly from exhaustion. "Well…I guess I should probably go-"

"Sasuke…" Her voice was so soft that he almost didn't catch it. He stopped himself from taking a step away and looked back at her, dreading what she might say. Her head remained bowed for a moment longer before she finally lifted her head to look up at him. What caught him off guard were her eyes…they were no longer blue. They were a deep golden color with multiple rings creating a ripple pattern that spread over the eyeballs. "Thank you for at least trying to protect them," she said, keeping her eyes on him.

"Y-yeah…sure…" he said, turning on his heel and disappearing into the forest. Itachi watched him go for a moment before looking back down at her.

"Sasuke seemed spooked by you, koibito…what's going on?" he asked, brushing her hair away from her face. "Can I see your beautiful fa-"

She turned her head to look at him, his question dying on his lips. The reason why Sasuke had been shocked when she looked at him was staring him right in the eyes. Deep golden eyes stared back at him with multiple rings creating a ripple pattern spreading all over her eyeballs.

Selûne had awakened her Rinnegan.

* * *

**_The two things that Selûne says to Shin'ichi are in order:_**

**_"Watashi no musuko...aishiteru..." - "My son...I love you..."  
_**

**_"Watashi wa itsumo anata o mamorimasu..." - "I will always protect you..."  
_**


	38. Into the Future

_**I apologize for the long delay, but the stress of getting a job as well as the holidays has been pressing on me. That reminds me of what happened on Christmas day. I was going to a Christmas party, so I was walking to my car which had like a few inches of snow on it. So I got my brush from the trunk, went to the driver's side, put the keys in the ignition and turned the car on to warm it up. When I did all that, I closed the door and as soon as I did that, I went "FUCK!" As soon as that door closed, the car locked. And I didn't have spare keys on me...and the car was running...I had to have my dad call AAA and have them unlock the car...great way to start Christmas!**_

_**ShadowBloodNinja- As always, chapter's yours. If you have an idea for the next chapter, throw it at me. I wrote the summaries of the sequels on my profile page today, so I feel better about that :P  
**_

_**Yay for becky157689 for favoriting this story :D hopefully you like this chapter and the many chapters to come!  
**_

_**Enjoy the chapter! :D I do not own Naruto in any way.**_

* * *

"YEAH! This party is fucking awesome!" Hidan yelled as he stumbled through the living room, drunk off his ass. Deidara slung his arm around Sasori's neck, grinning widely as he drew the puppeteer closer to him.

"I tell ya danna, it was sooooo awesome! Se-chan t-told me ta blow up a part of that fuckin' bastard's base and ya know what? I DID! It was orgasmic! Art is a fuckin' bang un!"

"Shut up you ignorant brat…" Sasori growled, trying to scoot as far away from Deidara as possible. Since he was made of wood, he couldn't exactly drink alcohol and get drunk like the rest of the Akatsuki. Oh, if only he was still flesh and blood! Then he wouldn't have to listen to the blonde brat's ramblings.

Konan fell across Pain's lap and tugged on a few orange spikes, giggling uncontrollably. Unlike Konan, Pain was only slightly buzzed so he was aware of what was going on around him. He watched as Kakuzu began talking to the recliner and Tobi stumbled around drunkenly hugging random objects such as the TV, a statue of Pain, a clock and even Deidara, who blew up a clay spider and threw him into the wall. Kisame was talking to himself and Itachi was brooding in the corner, nursing a glass of wine. The Uchiha had been quiet ever since he and Selûne had come back nearly three hours after Hidan, Kakuzu and Deidara had returned, the Amakura covered in blood and carrying a crying baby while Itachi carried a sleeping baby. The self proclaimed god had tried to ask her something, but she had turned angry golden Rinnegan eyes on him and he immediately shut up. Just the sight of the morphed Rinnegan had shocked him into silence; he had never seen anyone with it other than himself.

'_So she has Senju and Uchiha DNA in her…the only way she could have awakened it is if her family line has Uchiha and Senju blood in it, idiot…'_

An hour or two after they had returned, the party was in full swing and the entirety of the Akatsuki was wasted except for Sasori, Pain and Itachi. Selûne had retreated to her room to clean up and take care of the children. Itachi had followed her and tried to talk to her, but that ultimately failed when Pain heard the Amakura screaming at the top of her lungs, Itachi yelling, then Itachi shouting in pain and eventually the door slamming. The Uchiha had stormed into the living room mere moments after the ruckus with a huge bump on his head and glared at everyone, but no one acknowledged him as they were too busy getting their drink on. Itachi had then sighed heavily and flopped down into a chair in the corner of the room, but not before grabbing a glass of red wine. All of those occurrences now leading up to the current moment…

"FUCK YEAH!" Hidan yelled as he watched two women going at it on the TV. "Give it to her, baby!"

"Sempai, what's that pretty lady doing to her friend?" Tobi asked innocently, tugging on Deidara's sleeve.

"Huh whatta? Whaddya me-TOBI LOOK AWAY!" Deidara screamed as he threw Tobi into a closet and locked the door, placing a silencing jutsu upon the closet. "Ahhh sweet silence…"

"You're so beautiful…" Kakuzu said, giving the recliner a big wet smooch. "You were freeeeeee!" Pain's eye twitched at the behavior of his subordinates. He was so close to banning alcohol from the hideout, but he knew if he did that Konan would castrate him. That woman loved sake almost as much as her origami. "I want to marry you," Kakuzu said to the recliner, hugging it tightly in his threads. The pressure from the threads sliced the plump chair in half, the top falling to the ground. Kakuzu stared at it for a moment before screaming. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" He dissolved into drunken sobs at the destruction of his free recliner, which he had gotten at a yard sale…which had originally been a hundred ryo…which he stole, but not before killing the seller and stealing their wallet as well as killing and robbing everyone else who was there. Pain had forbidden him from going to yard sales after that incident, but they had gotten a new living room set and kitchen set out of it. According to Selûne, Kakuzu's greed was as great as Pain's so-called god complex, but unlike Pain's god complex, Kakuzu's greed actually did help with financial matters. She may not agree with his methods, but it did keep the organization afloat.

Hidan and Kisame were now completely engrossed in the porno, cheering on the brunette who was now dominating the black-haired woman. Pain noticed Itachi's eyes shift over to the television screen for a brief moment before they returned to his glass, swirling the liquid gently. He knew that Itachi wouldn't lighten up until he had made up with Selûne, but judging from the Amakura's attitude earlier, it was going to be difficult. She had literally turned into a shrieking harpy once she had left for her room, screaming obscenities left and right. Such was the attitude of a furious mother…Itachi had relayed to him what had happened at Orochimaru's base and while he was happy that Orochimaru was finally, FINALLY dead…it was disheartening to hear that the snake had corrupted the Uchiha's son with his curse mark. And worse of all, Selûne had broken the seal keeping Miyako caged. All that effort into sealing her away…wasted! Even though she had released her, she had been able to awaken the Rinnegan AND kill Orochimaru. She had done what thousands of ninja had failed to do in one fell swoop and all because of her protective mother instincts. If that was what it took to kill Orochimaru, he should've gotten Konan pregnant and had Orochimaru do what he did to Selûne's son. He would've made a shitty dad…

After seeing Itachi take another withering glance at the TV, he pushed Konan off of his lap and strode over to the brooding Uchiha, standing right in front of him. Itachi made no indication that he knew he was there, so he did something that no one should ever do when Itachi was in one of his moods…he slapped his glass out of his hands, smirking at the sound of the delicate glass shattering. The glowing red of the Mangekyou Sharingan greeted him along with an incredibly dark expression, but Pain gave him an equally dark glare.

"Itachi, get out of here and go talk to Selûne. You are not allowed back in here until you have; it's annoying to have to sit and watch you glare at everyone else who is enjoying themselves."

The authority in his voice made Itachi stop himself from incinerating his leader with Amaterasu and think about what he said. Did he really want to apologize to Selûne after the events of today? She was in ultimate bitch mode, which made Itachi balk at the thought of having to go to her and talk. She could easily rip his privates off and shove them down his throat…

"Hn."

"Yes or no, Itachi? Don't give me your stupid Uchiha answer!" Pain was starting to get frustrated to the point that he was going to Shinra Tensei the Uchiha's ass.

"Yeah, I'll go."

'_What the hell are you thinking, you idiot!? She's going to murder you!'_

"Good, now get going!" Pain had gone so far as to grab him by the shoulder and drag him out of the living room, but before he could voice his complaint, the door had slammed behind him. Sighing heavily, Itachi made his way down the hallway, passing various rooms and ignoring the strange sound coming from Tobi's room. It sounded suspiciously like chittering, which made Itachi suspect that somehow Tobi had befriended the giant mutated spider and made it his pet. Shaking off that weird thought, Itachi cautiously made his way to Selûne's door and paused. He couldn't hear anything coming from inside, but a quick scan of the room and he knew that she was still awake. He took a deep breath and opened the door slowly, his eyes falling on the still form of his wife on the bed. She was facing away from him so he couldn't see what she was doing, but one look at the crib and he knew that she had Aika in her arms. Shin'ichi was fast asleep in the crib, his skin flushed an unhealthy red. Itachi closed the door behind him and stood there, not saying anything in case she decided to go off on him if he spoke. There was a few moments of silence before she finally spoke, her voice hoarse.

"Aika had many shallow cuts on her back…" she said. "She was also poisoned from whatever it was that Sasuke and Kabuto gave her…Shin'ichi too. Shin'ichi has a fever, but the medicine I gave him will take effect soon so he'll be fine. Aika…" Her voice began to crack and Itachi could hear her crying softly. "Why would they do this to them? They're only infants…do they not have hearts?"

Itachi couldn't say anything. What could he say? In lieu of speaking, he walked over to the bed and sat down behind her, looking over her shoulder at his daughter. The baby was awake and gripping her mother's finger tightly, a look of curiosity on her face. Her blue eyes shifted to her father and stared up at him, spit bubbling from her tiny lips. Itachi couldn't help but smile down at her; she really was an adorable little baby.

'_I can't believe Selûne and I made such a beautiful child…'_

He watched the silent tears slipping down Selûne's cheeks as she held Aika to her, not noticing that she was unbuttoning her shirt and pushing her bra aside until she brought Aika's head to her chest. Itachi gaped as he watched his daughter latch on to his wife's breast and begin suckling for her milk.

"I didn't know you were going to be breastfeeding them, koibito," he said, leaning over to get a better look. "My mother did the same thing for Sasuke and I."

"It's better for them than that awful formula stuff that they sell in the stores. My children will be breastfed until they can start eating more solid foods." Selûne bit her lip when Aika gave a particularly strong pull at her nipple, a little shock of pain radiating through her breast. One of her tiny hands came up and rested on the top of her breast, helping to keep her there as she fed from her mother. Itachi shifted so that he was sitting in front of Selûne, watching his daughter feed with muted fascination. His wife stared up at him with a small smile on her lips, cradling Aika closer to her chest. "You're a pervert, koibito," she teased, one of her hands coming up to caress his cheek.

"W-what!? How am I a pervert when all I'm doing is watching my daughter eat?" Itachi spluttered, his face going red with embarrassment. Even though he said this, he secretly enjoyed being able to see Selûne's breasts bared to him. She only smiled at him, her eyes closing in contentment as she leaned in to kiss him, caressing his lips with her own. Itachi was mildly surprised that she wasn't screaming or pulling his hair out like she had tried to earlier, but he threw all caution to the winds and returned her kiss. A small sound of annoyance came from between them and Selûne pulled away to look down at Aika, who was giving her mother an irritated look.

"Our daughter already thinks that her parents kissing is gross," she laughed as she cradled Aika to her, the baby continuing to eat. "I remember Mayu and I used to gag whenever our mother and father would kiss."

Itachi chuckled softly as he tousled Aika's black hair. The baby's eyes were slowly beginning to droop, her mouth losing its suction on Selûne's breast. Selûne hummed a soft lullaby to lull Aika further into sleep, rocking her body slightly to relax her. Before long, Aika had lost her grip on her mother's nipple and was snoozing, her head leaning against the soft cushion of Selûne's breast. Selûne pulled her bra up and covered her skin before getting up from the bed and walking to the crib. She lay Aika next to her brother and smiled when the baby girl snuggled closer to her brother, her cheek resting against his forehead. Shin'ichi's skin still had a rather unhealthy flush to it, so Selûne made hand signs and pressed her palm to his forehead. Her healing chakra flowed into him and neutralized the poison still coursing through his tiny body, the flush disappearing from his skin and returning it to a healthy peach color. She sighed heavily, sagging against the frame of the crib thanking Kami that her children were alright. A rustling sound came from behind her and Selûne squeaked when an arm wrapped around her shoulders and another under her knees, picking her up bridal style.

"Itachi-koi…" she whispered, burying her face in his Akatsuki cloak. "I'm so sorry for getting mad at you earlier. It's just that I can't believe that Orochimaru would stoop so low as to harm an infant just to anger me." The whole time she was talking, Itachi was carrying her to the bed with a plan in his mind. He always knew the one thing that would calm her down and relax her completely. "I just want my children to be safe and out of harm's way…is that too much to ask?" she asked even as he laid her on the sheets and straddled her. "I would give my life for my children and with the events of today, I would give anything just to remove the curse mark from Shin'ichi, even my own life." Itachi was sliding her shirt off of her shoulders and throwing it onto the floor, baring soft skin. His hands went to the front clasp of her bra and unhooked it, tossing it to join her shirt. "From now on, Aika and Shin'ichi will not be leaving my sight." Itachi was now working on removing her pants, getting them off with relative ease until his wife lay bare beneath him. "Orochimaru deserved so much more than what he got. If I could raise him and kill him again, I would do it a thousand times over." Itachi had quickly discarded his clothing and pressed his face in between Selûne's breasts, kissing and licking the soft skin there. "At least I did everyone a huge favor. Now no more little boys will have to worry about that snake coming and molesting the-" She was cut short when Itachi slid a finger into her, her breath hitching from the sensation. She was still somewhat loosened from giving birth, but the stress of releasing Miyako and being consumed by her had altered her body slightly. Miyako had taken away some of the less pleasant consequences of birth such as the belly pouch, but she still had the stretch marks. Nothing that some cream or a cell revitalizing jutsu couldn't fix. Despite being loosened, it meant that she wouldn't be too tight to feel the usual pain of Itachi's penetration.

"You talk too much, koibito," Itachi murmured as he captured her lips with his, kissing her deeply as he shoved his fingers further into her. Selûne moaned into his mouth, allowing his tongue entrance into her mouth. His tongue curled around hers and pulled it toward him until he was practically sucking it from her mouth. After making sure that she was ready for him, he pulled his fingers from her and replaced it with his member. When he entered her, she didn't feel the usual pain of his penetration, only a pleasant full feeling. She pulled away from his kiss, throwing her head back against the pillows at the feeling that coursed through her.

"Itachi…" she whispered, being careful to not be loud so as not to wake the children. Itachi nuzzled her neck, slowly thrusting into her while placing wet open-mouthed kisses to her throat. "Itachi…feels good…oh Kami more!" she squealed as he quickened his pace, slamming hard into her.

"Selûne…" he groaned as he bit into her neck, hard enough to draw blood. He listened to her heavy breathing even as he licked the blood up, the coppery taste of it overwhelming his senses. A warm feeling came over him, centering in a recent scar of his. It felt like it was burning away…when it stopped, he reached over to feel it and nearly gasped. It was gone as well as any other scars on his body. He smiled down at her blushing face and kissed her gently. "Aishiteru." He wrapped his arms underneath her and pulled her up so that she was sitting in his lap, his erection still lodged within her. She cried out as he managed to force more of him inside her until he was literally balls deep, the tip of his erection hitting her cervix. A jolt of pain went through her body at the contact, but it quickly disappeared when he began moving in her again. Itachi could feel his orgasm coming when Selûne's walls began to squeeze him hard. "Koibito, tell me you're mine."

A hard thrust from Itachi drove the air from her lungs, but Selûne managed to get it out. "I-I'm yours Itachi…" she murmured, moving against him. She threw her arms around his neck and held him to her, grinding against him and forcing him further into her. Itachi bit his lip to keep himself from shouting as his orgasm began to hit him.

"Selûne, come with me. Come with me, utsukushi," he groaned as he tried to hold himself back. Once he heard Selûne's moans grow in volume and felt her walls begin to tighten around him, he let himself go and came with her, his hot semen pouring into her. He sagged against her and listened to her heavy breathing, her breasts pressing into his chest.

"Itachi…that was amazing," she gasped, threading her fingers through his hair and kissing his sweaty shoulder. Itachi buried his face in her hair and smiled, happy that she was safe and sound in his arms as well as his children. She pulled away from him so that she could see him, taking his face in her hands and caressing his cheeks fondly. He smiled at her before leaning in and kissing her gently. "I love you so much, my Uchiha."

Itachi kissed her again and lifted her off of his limp member, laying her against the soft sheets. "I love you as well, my beautiful wife. Let us get some sleep; you have had a very trying day today and I believe we would all benefit from some rest." He pulled the covers over them and held her nude body against his, tucking her head underneath his chin. "Sleep koibito."

She snuggled against him and smiled, breathing in the scent that was wholly Itachi. As she succumbed to the call of sleep, she heard Otohime's voice whispering to her. She answered the call by retreating into the subconscious of her mind, back to that garden where Otohime was waiting for her.

"_I can feel your pain, child," the elder Amakura said, smiling softly at her. "I'm deeply sorry for what happened to your son, but in time you will be able to remove the curse mark."_

"_Something feels wrong…" Selûne said, approaching Otohime. "I remember what you told me about the youngest of my children following Sasuke's path. Aika and Shin'ichi are not the only children I will have, are they?"_

"_I can't tell you that…the only thing I can tell you is that the road ahead of you is rough and full of many hardships. You will have to make great sacrifices for the good of your family and the world as well."_

_Selûne shifted uncomfortably, feeling a dark presence in the garden. "Something is not right…what is this feeling?"_

_Otohime looked around, noticing the dark shadows that were beginning to get deeper with each passing second. Her expression changed from peaceful to horrified. "Selûne, leave at once! My sister has found a way to enter this world and corrupt it! Leave now! I will take care of her; I will not have her corrupting you!"_

_Selûne felt herself being pushed from the haven of her subconscious, but not before seeing Miyako appear before Otohime with a wicked smile on her features. The elder Amakura looked back at her and winked, raising her blade over her head._

"_Say goodbye to your guardian, little girl."_

"_NO! OTOHIME!"_

Selûne's eyes opened in the real world, Itachi's even breathing telling her that he was fast asleep. She felt tears prick the corners of her eyes at the thought of what could possibly be happening to her guardian spirit.

'_What will happen now?'_

* * *

**_I hope you enjoyed, my pretties :) _**


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